


Break These Chains

by loganmai



Category: Fall Out Boy, Motionless in White (Band), My Chemical Romance
Genre: Abandonment, Aftercare, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, Angst, Assault, Blow Jobs, Demons, Drug Dealing, Eating Disorders, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Former Slave Character, Gay Sex, Gun Violence, Half-Vampires, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Kidnapping, Kinky sex, M/M, Male Pregnancy, Minor Character Death, Multi, Non-human characters, Past Abuse, Past Character Death, Past Drug Use, Past Sexual Abuse, Past psychological abuse, Rape, Rough Oral Sex, Rough Sex, Sexual Assault, Slave Trade, Slow Build, Starvation, Suicide Attempt, Trust Issues, Vampires, Werewolves, multiple POVs, shapeshifter!Frank, werewolf!Pete
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-06
Updated: 2017-08-01
Packaged: 2018-11-28 12:19:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 20
Words: 61,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11417853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loganmai/pseuds/loganmai
Summary: Gerard is a heavyweight drug dealer, and when a deal goes slightly wrong, he gets saddled with Frank - a slave he never wanted. When Frank starts to see two different sides to Gerard, the two young men will soon find themselves wrestling with moral dilemmas and complicated feelings.Frank is a shapeshifter, Gerard is human.





	1. Chapter 1

**G**

“Where the fuck is my money?” I growled, reaching for the gun in my jacket. The man held his hands up quickly, shaking his head as he backed away slightly. 

“G-Gerard, no! I c-can get the money!”

I pulled the gun out and cocked it in one smooth, practiced movement. He looked about ready to wet himself, and was getting twitchy. 

“L-look, I can't give you any money r-right now, but I got this slave...he's due to go to auction tomorrow, he’ll fetch a real big price, he's young and pretty. Just your type. You'll love him! You can have him for f-free.”

I stared at him briefly. “You know I don't own any fucking slaves, motherfucker!”

I took a step forward and the man shrank back. “Please! Take a look at him at least!”

I sighed and tucked my gun away carefully. It had been a long night and I just wanted to get home to bed. “Fine, bring him out.” 

He tapped on a wall nearby and someone jogged out. They had a hushed conversation and the new man ran off. 

“Tonight would be nice,” I snarled. The first man jumped, his eyes wide. 

“It's a big compound, Gerard. Takes a while.”

I sighed and pulled out my phone, texting Andy to tell him I’d be late back. Just as I pressed the send button, I heard footsteps and looked up. I tucked my phone away slowly, staring at the boy. 

Two guards were practically dragging the poor thing along. He was tiny, and would have barely come up to my chest if he'd been standing straight. The cuffs seemed to be pulling him down, and he hung his head as if already half dead. He was skinny, too, and had blood and dirt matted in his hair. 

“We didn't have time to clean him up, I’m-”

“How old is he?” I interrupted in a quiet voice, watching as the guards let go of him. He sank to his knees and stayed there, barely even moving to breathe. 

“Seventeen.”

“Fuckin’..” I ran a hand through my hair, looking away as I sucked at my teeth. “Alright. I'll take him. But I still expect to be paid in full next week.”

The man nodded and one of the guards took the boy’s cuffs off. He didn't acknowledge it, made no break for freedom. He didn't even look up. 

I waved the men away from him irritably and crouched down, my throat closing up as my gaze met his. 

His eyes were a soft, beautiful green, but I had never before seen a look of such despair and hopelessness, not even in the eyes of the men I'd had shot. “Hello,” I rasped, my nose stinging. His ragged hoodie slipped to the side and I saw his mantle briefly before he tugged the collar back uncomfortably. 

“Let's go.”

I walked him out of the building and opened the door of my car for him, watching him slide into the backseat and buckle up silently. I got in behind the wheel, sighing to myself. I tried to remember what we'd been told about shapeshifters in school. 

We'd been told about mantles, for sure. They were patterns of geometric scars that started around a baby’s neck at birth and slowly spread down the person’s body throughout their life. They were supposed to tell a shifter’s life story and their clan lines, but there was no one left who was able to read them. 

We'd ‘conquered’ their ‘dying’ species and ‘saved them from stagnation.’ 

By enslaving them. The vampires did it, the werewolves did it, and the humans did it once they themselves broke free of slavery as a species - although we were still widely kept illegally. Demons were notorious slave-keepers, but there weren't many of them around anymore, as they'd preferred to keep away from this plane in recent years. 

In any case, the noble, fascinating, and powerful species had quickly been reduced to base, mindless existences. The introduction of collars and cuffs that drained their power had made this even easier, and now nearly everyone over a certain pay grade had a shifter slave in their home. 

I glanced at the boy in the rearview mirror. He appeared to be asleep, his head slumped over and his bony shoulders painfully obvious. I sighed and took a deep breath, forcing my hands to stop shaking. 

I hadn't seen anything like this before. I'd seen men so strung out on drugs that they couldn't remember their own name, I’d seen people get shot or hanged, and I’d seen babies crying out for their mothers while strange men did lines of coke off the mothers’ stomachs. But this kid rattled me. 

_ He's only a year older than Mikey.  _

The thought of my baby brother hit me hard and I pulled the car over, putting a shaky hand over my eyes and trying to control my breathing.  

I heard the kid shift behind me and turned around to look at him. He huddled up quickly, hugging his knees tightly. 

“Hey, it's alright. I just want to know your name.”

He stared at me blankly for what felt like hours. 

“Please?” I said at last. “I'm not planning on hurting you. I don't even want a slave. Can you just tell me your name so I know what to call you?”

“Frank,” he whispered softly, chewing on his lip lightly. 

“Okay. I'm Gerard. I'm gonna take you to my place and uh...get you patched up, I guess. Do you have a last name?”

Frank stared at the floor expressionlessly, shaking his head slowly. 

“Alright. Well...let’s get home.” 

~

I tried to help Frank out of the car as he stumbled sleepily, but he pushed my hands away, his touch so light and weak it was barely there. 

“Frank, wait.”

He froze in his tracks and I shut the car door behind him carefully. 

“Can you shift?”

Frank nodded just slightly. 

“Can I trust you not to if I take the collar off? I don't mind if you want to later, but right now you need rest.”

He shrugged and I sighed, running a hand through my hair and moving from foot to foot nervously. “Frank, I need to know that you won't try to get away from me. Can you guarantee me that?”

He shook his head slowly and I closed my eyes for a couple seconds. “Okay, Frank. Okay. I can't take it off, then. Not yet, I'm sorry.”

He shrugged again and I put a hand on his back, trying to help him up the steps to the front door. He jerked away from me, his jaw tight as he growled very quietly. I took a step back and sighed. “I gotta open the door, Frank..”

Frank glared at me with such hate and venom that I felt physically pushed and took another small step back. I took a deep breath and sighed, slipping past him on the small path and unlocking the door. “Alright. Home sweet home.”

Frank peered through the doorway suspiciously, but didn't move. I stepped inside and waved a hand for him to follow. He hurried inside, but kept his eyes on me, his back against a wall. Every time I glanced at him, he looked down. 

“Are you hungry?”

Frank shook his head slowly. 

“Would you like a bath?” 

A shrug. 

I sighed in exasperation and ran a hand through my hair again. “Frank, I'm trying to help you, I need you to try and cooperate a little here.”

He flinched and sat down on the floor, curling up into a tiny ball. I rubbed my eyes with the heels of my hands. “Frank, come on. I'm gonna run you a bath and you can get nice and clean before bedtime. Wouldn't you like that?”

He didn't really react. 

“Should I carry you?”

Once again, Frank didn't move, so I crouched down and moved to pick him up, but he hissed and uncurled, running off and hiding under a table in the hallway. 

I took a deep breath and sighed. 

“Alright. Frank, there's tons of blankets and pillows down here, sleep wherever you like, just please don't make a huge mess. I'm too tired to deal with this at the moment.”

~~~

I walked downstairs quietly, humming to myself as I started to make coffee. I suddenly remembered Frank and hurried into the living room. He was curled up on the couch in a nest of blankets, his head resting on the arm. I smiled and gently touched his shoulder, rubbing it slowly and lightly. 

“Frank...wake up, hon..”

He shot off the sofa, falling onto the floor and crying out pitifully before curling up again. I sighed and walked around, crouching down in front of him. He stared at me, shaking slightly. 

“Frank..I just want to see you get better. You look seriously thin and I'm sure you probably have broken ribs or something, and that needs seeing to. I gotta take you to the doctor today.”

Frank just shrugged, looking away. I stood up and he flinched, crawling onto the sofa quickly.

“I'm gonna go make breakfast.” 

I wandered into the kitchen, ignoring the light footsteps behind me. I opened the fridge and started getting out ingredients for pancakes, glancing over. Frank was leaning against the doorframe, his whole body basically wrapped around it as he watched me apprehensively, as if checking to make sure I didn't do anything to the pancakes. I smiled at him and he flinched again, gripping onto the doorframe until his knuckles went white. 

“It's okay, Frank. Do you like music?”

He gave a tiny, curt nod. 

I smiled a little wider and waved him over. “So do I. Come here, look. You can use my iPod, it's connected to that speaker over there.”

I held it out to him and he shuffled back slightly, then leaned forward to squint at it from across the room. “It's not gonna hurt you, Frank. It's just for storing music on, yeah? So you can pick a song.”

He ran over to me and snatched it from my hand before scuttling back to his place of refuge in the doorway. He fiddled with the device for a while, finally settling on my classical music playlist and starting a Bach cello suite. 

Frank smiled as the music flooded the room, and his shoulders dropped as he slid down the doorframe to curl up on the floor, rocking himself slowly. I stared at him for a few seconds, just taking in that smile. 

_ Fuck, he's adorable _ . 

One of the pancakes started to burn and I cursed quietly under my breath as I took the pan off the heat. When I glanced up, I saw that Frank was standing up again, watching me with wide, terrified eyes, his body poised to bolt at any moment. 

“It's okay,” I smiled, starting a fresh batch. “I wasn't swearing at you. I was just frustrated with myself.”

Frank seemed to relax slightly, but kept watching me closely. 

When I’d finally finished off the pancakes, I poured maple syrup over mine and took the plates to the table. Frank watched, shuffling away a little as I passed him. I grabbed the bottle of maple syrup and glanced at him before opening the fridge. I poured two glasses of orange juice and carried those to the table as well. 

“Come eat, Frank,” I encouraged gently, sitting down in my chair and taking a sip from my juice before also eating a bite of my pancakes. “Mm, it's really good. Come eat while it's hot..”

Frank sniffed, clearly wrestling with himself, but hunger won and he quickly sat down, digging into his pancakes. “Hold on,” I said softly. “Would you like some syrup?”

He froze, staring at the bottle as if he'd never seen anything like it before. 

“It's sweet and sugary, do you like sweet things?”

He nodded quickly and snatched the bottle, pouring some over the pancakes before digging in again, practically inhaling the food. 

I left him alone, finishing off my pancakes just as he chugged the last of his juice and scrambled out of his chair, running back to the doorway. 

“Frank, it's okay,” I soothed, standing up and pushing the chairs in as I went to clean up. “I won't hurt you. But I am going to run you a bath. You're a bit smelly and you really need some new clothes.”

Frank wrinkled his nose slightly and I sighed. “This isn't a negotiation. You need to get nice and clean and comfortable, it'll make you feel better, I promise..”

I gestured for him to follow me as I walked down the hall, pushing the bathroom door open and showing him how to use the tap. “Can you get undressed and leave the clothes outside? I can wash them for you, and I'll set new ones out.”

Frank stared at me for a few seconds, looking terrified again. I closed my eyes, trying to figure out what could make it better. “I can get you the new ones now..?”

He nodded quickly, relaxing somewhat. I hurried down the hall and into the spare room, digging through the closet to find some of Mikey's old clothes. I finally found a pair of sweatpants and a t shirt that looked about right, then grabbed a pair of boxers and a hoodie from my room. I folded it all on the bathroom counter and flashed Frank a brief smile. “There you go. You okay now?”

He nodded quickly and I slipped out of the room, stepping back so he could walk past me, shutting the door behind him quietly. 

~

Frank wandered out of the bathroom, looking worried. “You okay?” I asked gently, noting how baggy Mikey’s clothes were on his small frame. The hoodie was hanging from his hand, dragging on the floor. 

“Doesn't fit,” he mumbled, holding it at arm's length. I took it carefully, setting it down on the table. “I thought it might be too big. I'll go put your old ones in the wash, okay?”

I hurried down the hall, my mind racing. Those clothes had been here for about three years, meaning they'd fit Mikey when he was thirteen. Mikey was tall, but skinny, and Frank was several inches shorter than Mikey had been, so I wasn't surprised that everything was too long. But it scared me how baggy and roomy the shirt and sweats were. 

I needed to get him to the doctor. 

I gathered up his dirty clothes, trying to ignore the bloodstains as I carried them to the washing machine, shoving them inside carefully. Frank watched blankly as I set the cycle going and straightened up. 

“Frank, we gotta go to the doctor, yeah?”

He blinked and shrugged. 

“I'm worried about you, hon. And we need to get you some new clothes, I think. But we’ll do one step at a time, okay? Let's uh…” I ran a hand through my hair and turned, quickly jogging down the hall. I tore an old box open and rummaged through it, finally finding Mikey's fifth grade swimming championship hoodie. He'd been ready to throw it out, but I'd rescued it and kept it. Now, it looked about right for Frank. 

I walked back to him, smiling slightly. “Hey. I found this, do you think it'll fit?”

Frank slipped his t shirt off without hesitation, taking the hoodie. I stared at him, my throat tightening. Every single one of his ribs were visible, jutting out of his skin, and his shoulders were defined painfully, none of which was effectively hidden by his mantle. Most of his stomach and his hips, which were shown off slightly by the baggy sweatpants slipping down, was covered in scars, some deeper and wider than others. His mantle only stretched down to his elbows on his arms and just above his belly button on his torso. The hoodie fabric fell down over his skin and I blinked. 

“Frank, do you know how much you weigh?” I asked slowly, watching him as he looked away from me. 

He shook his head and picked the t shirt up off the floor, putting it on the table before tugging up the hood so it covered his neck. His bright green eyes stood out against his now pale, clean skin as he stared at me with a mix of indifference and wariness. I grabbed my keys, stepping towards him and wincing as he flinched back, but I held up my hands quickly. “Hey, no. Let me see your collar, yeah?”

Frank relaxed slightly and I gently pulled the hood down, unlocking the padlock on the collar. I loosened the collar carefully, sighing when I saw the rubs underneath. 

“I'm sorry, Frank. I'll take it off for a while when we get home again, alright? I've got some cream I can put on those rubs for you.”

He smiled just slightly as I locked the padlock again carefully. 

“Again, I don't want to leave it on, but I know you don't trust me yet, and I really don't want you to leave yet. You need to heal for a while here.”

Frank nodded slightly, following me to the front door. 

“Alright. Let's get going.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm posting a new one for now, I guess this is a little different from what I normally write in some ways, but also kind of generic for me in others...  
> Anyway, it might not be my best work, but it's something for you guys to read while I sort my life out :)  
> Logan


	2. Chapter 2

**F**

I curled up in the passenger seat of Gerard’s car, watching him closely as he started the car, pulling out of the drive. He glanced at me and I looked away quickly. 

“Okay. We're going to urgent care, so it might be kinda busy, but if you keep your hood up, no one will really spot you. Alright?”

I nodded slightly, glaring at the glove box. He shifted and I jumped away, suddenly and desperately terrified of him. The feeling faded quickly and I sighed. He hadn't hit me yet, but I knew better than to trust a master. That was about the same as having a death wish. 

I leaned my head on the window, hugging myself tightly. 

“That hoodie was my brother’s,” Gerard said quietly, clearly made uncomfortable by long silences. “He was in a swimming championship when he was eleven, and I kept the hoodie.” 

I glanced at him and he smiled slightly. “He's sixteen now.”

I managed a small smile, slightly more at ease. He had a younger brother, just a year apart from me, which meant he was used to people approximately my age, and he seemed to care for him. Maybe I could relax just a little more.

The car in front breaked hard and Gerard swore loudly, causing me to press myself against the door shakily. Masters swearing was usually an indication I was about to get hit. 

“Sorry, Frank. It's okay..” He soothed, reaching across. I jerked away and accidentally pressed the button to roll down the window, squealing in surprise. I quickly unbuckled my seatbelt, throwing myself into the backseat and curling up. 

“Fuck!” Gerard snapped. “Frank, come on..”

I curled up in the footwell behind his seat so he couldn't grab me, burying my face in my hands. He pulled the car over and just sat there for a few minutes, taking deep breaths.

Gerard got out of the car and walked around to my side, opening the door carefully and gently grabbing me before I could scramble away. “Shh, Frank. Come here..” He wrapped me up in his arms, holding me tightly as I struggled and tried to bite him. “Calm down. Shh. It's okay. Just...relax..”

I went limp quickly, then tried to kick out as he loosened his grip. 

“Shit! Frank, please!”

I froze. I didn't hear that word very often. I panted in his arms, trembling all over. 

“That's it,” he murmured softly, kissing the side of my head. “That's it. Shh..”

He let go of me carefully, sitting me down on the car seat. “It's okay, Frank..” He smiled at me sadly, stroking my cheek before I could turn my head away. “I'm sorry, Frankie. I'm sorry. I was just gonna stroke your hair, I really didn't mean to scare you like that. You gotta start trusting me a little, yeah?”

I nodded slightly and let my head fall back against the headrest, exhausted from fighting him. The pancakes had probably been the first real meal I’d had for at least a week, and I didn't exactly have much spare energy when I was frightened constantly. “Are you gonna be okay till we get there?” Gerard asked gently, buckling my seatbelt carefully. 

I nodded, leaning away from him slightly as he stood up. “Okay. Please don't unbuckle your seatbelt again, okay? It's dangerous, hon.” 

Gerard got back in the car, glancing at me in the mirror. “You're okay, Frank. Just try and relax.”

I curled up in my chair, resting my head on the window. Gerard started the car and pulled back into the road carefully. We'd only been going for about five minutes when Gerard's phone rang through the Bluetooth on his car. 

“Frank, this is my little brother, would you mind staying quiet while he's on the phone, please? I haven't told him about you yet, and he'd kill me if he thought I bought a slave.”

I nodded vaguely. “I thought you did.”

Gerard blinked and sighed. “We can discuss this later,” he mumbled, pressing the answer button. 

“Hey Gee!” 

Gerard glanced at me in the mirror again, biting his lip. “Hi, Mikey. What's going on?”

“Well, I've just finished school for the year and Mom is going out tonight, so she suggested I come stay with you for a couple nights. I've packed all my stuff, and-”

“Mikes, hon, you can't..” Gerard answered quietly, his jaw clenching. “I'm sorry, I can't have you over at the moment..”

There was a slight pause and Mikey's voice was soft and hurt when he spoke again. “Why not? You said you love having me over..”

“And I do! Really, I just...I picked this kid up from a bad situation and I'm trying to help him out. He's scared and he's tired and I don't think meeting a bunch of people right now is a good idea for him.”

“I'm not a bunch,” Mikey mumbled. “How old is he?”

“Seventeen. He's a  _ former  _ slave,” Gerard sighed, shooting me a meaningful look. I glared out of the window. 

“Seriously? Gee, what the fuck have you gotten yourself into? I'm coming over this afternoon and I'm gonna help you. I'm better with people than you.” 

“Mikey-”

“I have my own car now and I'm driving down. No arguments.” 

Gerard sighed loudly. “Fine. But I'm taking him to the doctor right now, I don't know how long it'll be.”

“I have a key,” Mikey hummed softly. “I'll be fine. I love you, Gee.”

Gerard hesitated, then relaxed, the annoyance draining from his expression. “I love you too, Mikes. See you later.”

~

I stuck close to Gerard's side as he led me through the doors and up to the desk. 

“Hey, I've brought in a new patient..”

I tuned out, glancing around at all the people. They were mostly vampires and humans, but a couple shapeshifters were hunched over in their chairs. One of them was posing as a human, not an easy thing to do. Little changes were much harder to hold than big ones, and we could always spot our own species anyway. Gerard touched my shoulder gently and I jumped, shuffling away a few steps. 

“Hey, it's okay,” he soothed, smiling at me. “We gotta sit down..”

I nodded, following him to two chairs on the end of a row. I tried to take the inner one, as most of my masters would have told me to, but Gerard gently guided me to the outer, end chair. As we both sat down, he jerked his head towards the vampire a few seats away, then widened his eyes at me meaningfully and placed a protective hand on my knee. I folded my arms over my chest, resisting the urge to curl up into a ball or shake Gerard's hand off. 

We sat there for about half an hour, and I just watched Gerard flick through magazine after boring magazine. 

I did like magazines, though. They had lots of pictures, and none of my previous masters had thought it ‘proper’ for me to learn to read. So I looked at the pictures and kept my hands folded in my lap calmly. 

“Frank?”

I looked up and Gerard quickly set his magazine aside, standing up. I scrambled up quickly, jogging after him awkwardly as he walked through the door, following the nurse down the hall. We were guided to a small platform. The nurse smiled at me kindly. “Can you stand against the wall here, please? Heels against it, that's it.”

She hummed softly. “Four foot eleven.”

Gerard let out a sigh, watching me sadly. I bit my lip. I could have told her my height myself. 

She pointed to the platform. “Can you step on there, please?”

I stared at it warily and Gerard touched my back gently. “It's just to get your weight, Frank, it's okay..”

I nodded a tiny bit and stepped onto the small black platform, watching the nurse’s face as her eyes widened. 

“Mr. Way, were you aware that your friend weighs 67 pounds?”

Gerard gulped and shook his head slowly. “I'm sorry, miss. He only came to me last night. I knew he was underweight.”

She sighed and tapped her pencil on her clipboard sharply, making me jump. “He weighs less than a large dog. Fix it.”

Gerard nodded quickly. “Yes, I'll make sure he eats plenty.”

“Good.”

I shuffled off the platform, tripping a little. Gerard caught me carefully, but I shook him off quickly, hurrying after the nurse as she walked us into a small room. I climbed up on the bench per her instructions and she left quietly. 

Gerar sat down in a chair in the corner, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “I'm sorry, Frank. I'm so sorry..”

I sniffed, tugging my knees up to my chest worriedly. I didn't really understand why he was apologizing.

He stood up and walked over to me, running his fingers through his hair. “Frank, honey. We gotta focus on getting you healthy, okay? I'm gonna talk to the doctor about a plan for getting you up to a good weight. You're gonna be okay, I promise. I promise..”

Gerard opened his arms and I glared at him for a second, then leaned against him just slightly. He wrapped his arms around me loosely, rubbing my shoulder carefully. “We're gonna do this together,” he murmured, kissing the top of my head. 

The door clicked and Gerard let go of me quickly, flashing me a smile as he backed away from the table. The doctor walked over to me, his slightly creepy grin showing off bright, pointed fangs. I scrambled away from him, but Gerard caught me before I could get off the bench and held me down gently, shushing me softly. 

“Frank, it's okay. Take deep breaths. He's a doctor, and I'm right here. Okay?”

I managed a tiny nod, my chest still heaving as I glared at the vampire shakily. 

“I'm sorry about this,” Gerard sighed softly, turning his attention to the doctor. He smiled sadly. 

“It's okay. I can get a female doctor if that would be better? You might have to wait..”

Gerard looked down at me worriedly, rubbing my chest slowly. “Yeah, please. We don't mind waiting..”

The doctor nodded and slipped out, shutting the door behind him. I relaxed suddenly, slipping off the bench and walking to the corner of the room, trying to stop shaking as I knelt down on the floor. Gerard sighed quietly and I heard him walk over. He paused, then knelt next to me, folding his hands in his lap. “Hey, Frankie. It's okay, honey. You're nice and safe. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise. We’re gonna get a nice lady doctor to check you over, yeah? Nothing to worry about.”

I nodded slightly, still trying to control my breathing. Gerard stroked my hair back from my face slowly. “I need to give you a haircut, I think. This looks a little wild. Do you feel okay? You look a little pale.”

“M-might be s-sick..”

Gerard scooped me up quickly. “Are you sure?” 

I shrugged, not really leaning into him as he carried me to the bench, setting me down carefully. 

“There's a sink over there if you need to, okay? Try and keep it down, honey, please..”

He brushed his knuckles against my cheek as I stared at nothing, too overwhelmed by nausea to even think of pushing him away. 

~

After a while, the nausea passed and Gerard sat down on the edge of the bench, watching me as I stared at the wall. 

“I barely get any words out of you, Frank. Why?”

I shrugged, turning my head so I didn't have to see him. 

“Are you scared of saying something wrong?”

I nodded just slightly and he sighed.

“I'm not gonna punish you for saying stuff. I mean, I'd like it if you treated me with basic respect, but even if you don't, all I'm gonna do is yell at you. I'm not uh...a physical person.”

I shrugged and he dropped the subject. 

 

About ten minutes later, the door clicked again and a woman slipped through. She was a human this time, and tall, with black hair. Gerard smiled at her. 

“Hi.”

“Hey, I'm Dr. Ballato, this is just a checkup, right?”

Gerard nodded and slipped off the bench, but stayed close to me. 

“Yeah. This is my friend Frank, he doesn't talk much. To make a long story short, he fell into my lap as a slave that I never really wanted and I still don't really want...I don't really like the idea of owning slaves, and I just want to get him well enough so I can...let him go, I guess. That sounds..bad. Wrong. I want him to be strong enough so that he can make a life for himself if he wants to. There. That's better.”

He was blushing now. Dr. Ballato smiled at him. 

“Fair enough. We don't see many slaves, I don't think most people bother.” She turned to me. “Hi, Frank. I'm Lindsey, and I'm going to have to check you over, is that okay? I can have Gerard leave if you'd like.”

I pulled a face and waved a hand and she nodded. 

“He could stay and maybe close his eyes?”

I smiled slightly and nodded, glancing at the older man. He gave me a thumbs up and turned his back on me. 

Lindsey helped me slip my hoodie off, checking over most of my bones, my stomach and chest, and my back. She took my temperature and listened to my heart and lungs, scribbling things down on her clipboard every now and then. 

“Okay, so I've just checked your torso and there are a lot of issues,” she hummed, speaking to me, but also Gerard. “I think you'll need a chiropractor appointment to get some things back in line, and a lot of your bones have broken and reset incorrectly. I can give you some cream to minimize your scars, and there's this rubbing under your-”

“I know about that,” Gerard cut in gently. “I have some stuff at home I can put on it.”

“Good..”

Lindsey helped me with my sweatpants, checking me over in the same way. “I need to check under your boxers, is that okay, Frank?”

I nodded slightly, biting my lip harshly as I pulled them down carefully. She sucked a breath in through her teeth. 

“That's a lot of scars..”

Gerard shifted in his chair uncomfortably and I sniffed. 

“Oh Frank...I'm…” Lindsey trailed off, gently helping me turn over. “Oh...god..”

I tugged my boxers back up and rolled onto my back, then sat up and curled up, hugging my knees. I stared at nothing, tears running down my cheeks slowly. Lindsey washed her hands and sighed quietly, walking back to me. She tried to touch my shoulder and I started to sob softly. 

Gerard jumped off his chair and hurried to me, pulling me into his arms slowly. “Shh. Shh, honey. It's okay. Shh...it's alright. Let's get you dressed again..”

Gerard helped me with my clothes, ignoring me gently batting Lindsey away every time she tried to help. I tried to block out the nagging thought reminding me that he was looking at and touching my scars. He could see nearly all of them. 

“There we go,” he murmured as soon as I was dressed, pulling me into another hug. “No more crying..”

He dried my face with his shirt sleeve carefully, smiling at me sadly. “Why don't you sit down while I talk to the doctor? I won't be a minute..”

I nodded and slunk over to one of the chairs, curling up in it tightly. Gerard sighed softly, walking across the room to talk to the doctor. They spoke in lowered voices, but I could still hear most of it. 

“Chiropractor, getting his weight back up. Yeah, I can give you a chart to take home with you. One other thing I didn't want to mention directly in front of him is that he's been pregnant before.”

Gerard blinked, taken aback. “Um..”

She sighed. “Male shapeshifters can become pregnant under certain circumstances that can be fabricated. He's most likely been forced to have a child or it was an accident. Either way, I doubt he was allowed to raise the baby. He carried it to term, he has a very amateurish C-section scar. Probably not a good subject.”

Gerard ran a hand through his hair. “Jesus Christ, it just keeps getting worse..”

~

Gerard watched me as I nibbled on the sandwich. “It won't kill you, honey. It's good for you. Tuna melts are full of good stuff.”

I blinked and sighed. “Never had fish.”

Gerard glanced at me in mild surprise. “Really?”

I nodded, bringing my knees up to my chest again. I was sitting in the passenger seat, a little more comfortable. Gerard had been very kind in the doctor’s office and I felt slightly more at ease. 

“What did they feed you?”

I wrinkled my nose and shook my head. “Gruel. Not often with meat.”

Gerard sighed, reaching across to rub my shoulder and hesitating when I flinched. I let him touch me and he smiled slightly. “Well, I'm gonna show you all kinds of new food, and if you don't like that sandwich, I can make you one at home.”

I quickly took a big bite to indicate that I was enjoying it, and he chuckled. 

“Easy, Frank. Eating too fast will either give you stomach ache or make it more likely to come back up. You gotta eat slow. I'm not gonna take it from you.”

I leaned back in my chair, taking a smaller bite. 

“Mikey will be there when we get home. Are you gonna be okay?”

I nodded slightly, nibbling at the toasted bread. 

“He's not scary, I promise. He's a little taller than me, though, just a warning. I think you two will get along fine. He's very caring.”

I took another huge bite and Gerard chuckled softly, shaking his head slowly. 

~

As the car pulled up outside Gerard’s house, I started to feel a little uneasy, getting out of the car slowly. Gerard smiled at me encouragingly, walking past the new car to unlock the door. I followed him shakily, staying behind him slightly as he walked inside. 

“Hey!”

I jumped and turned to run, but Gerard caught my shoulder gently. “Shh, Frank. It's okay. Hi Mikes. Voice down a little..”

I struggled against Gerard slightly, but he leaned over and shut the front door before gently ushering me into the living room. Mikey was standing near the doorway, his eyes widening when he saw me. 

“Frank, this is Mikey. Mikey, this is Frank. He's a little jumpy, so voice down, no swearing, no sudden movements. Okay? He doesn't say a whole lot.”

Mikey was a little taller than Gerard, towering over me. His hair was messy brown, sticking up all over the place and interfering with his thick glasses. He smiled at me and I cowered back from him, running into Gerard's chest. 

“Hey Frank,” Mikey murmured, crouching down slightly to bring his eye level even with mine. “It's nice to meet you. You wanna come sit down?”

Gerard pushed my back gently and I scrambled into the armchair, leaning away from the younger Way brother as he sat down on the couch, as close to me as he could get. Gerard smiled at me sadly, gesturing to his neck. “I'll go and find that cream, okay? Be back in a sec..”

Mikey was watching me intently as Gerard walked out of the room. I didn't meet his gaze, looking everywhere else. 

“Frank, I'm not gonna hurt you. Okay? I just wanna see you get better, like Gerard says. I know what it's like to be constantly scared of people, and it's not fun. You can trust us. Gerard's a really nice man, he wouldn't hurt a fly unless he absolutely had to.”

I heard footsteps and Gerard jingled his keys. “You gonna be good, Frank? No running off?”

Mikey blinked. “Have you tried running, Frank?” 

I shook my head miserably and Gerard sighed, leaning over me as he unlocked the collar and then unbuckled it, slipping it off ever so carefully. “That's it,” he soothed as I trembled. “I'm gonna put this skin cream on it, okay? I'm gonna let it breathe for an hour and then I’ll put a fresh coat on under some gauze and put the collar back on...so it won't rub again..”

I nodded slightly and he carefully started to spread the cold cream over the burn-like marks on my skin with his fingers, his face close to mine. Mikey was chewing his lip as he watched. 

“Promise you didn't steal him, Gerard..”

“No, he's technically mine,” he sighed, smiling at me as he wiped the excess cream off on his jeans. “Be careful so that doesn't all rub off, okay?”

I nodded, curling up again and watching as Gerard set the collar aside with a scornful look. 

“Those collars are so cruel,” Mikey said quietly. “To stop a species from doing what they evolved to do. It's like forcing vampires to give up blood. It must be horrible..”

I nodded again, sniffling. 

Gerard squinted at me. “You must not be able to anyway...shift, I mean. It takes a lot of energy, and you don't have much to spare.”

I shrugged, looking down. I felt empty. 

He sighed. “Guys, I gotta go into the office and do some work before dinner, are you gonna be okay?”

I glanced at Mikey and he nodded slightly. “Yeah. We’ll be fine, right, Frank?”

I smiled just a tiny bit. His tone had been friendly and cheery rather than threatening, and the lack of weight around my neck felt amazing. 

Gerard walked off quietly and Mikey tilted his head. 

“I can't imagine what you've been through, Frank, but I'm glad you ended up here. We’ll take care of you.”

I picked at the sweatpants lightly. Mikey hummed. 

“Frank, can you stand up a second, please?”

I jerked my head up, staring at him in terror. He pulled a small white roll out of his pocket and held it up. “It's okay, Frank, it's a measuring tape. If I take some of your measurements, we can look at getting you clothes online. Would you like that? Picking your own clothes?”

I stared at him. “But...I've never been able to..”

Mikey grinned and shrugged. “So? You are now...let me take those measurements and I'll grab my laptop.”

I stood up slowly, letting Mikey wrap the tape around me, hold it up to me, and scribble down each measurement in a small notepad. He squinted at me as he sat down with his laptop. 

“What kind of clothes do you like? Do you like them for comfort?”

I nodded slightly. “Comfort is important.”

“That it is. How about a couple more pairs of sweats, a few t shirts, a button up shirt and a pair of jeans? And...yeah, you need shoes.”

I curled my toes in my grubby, slipper-type shoes that were falling apart at the seams. “Okay.”

Mikey hummed softly. “What colors do you like?”

I smiled and relaxed, letting my mantle flash for a second. Dim green light flashed along the scar pattern, down from the circle around my neck and out to the ends, burning slightly. 

“Uh. That's f-...really cool,” Mikey grinned, pushing his glasses up his nose. “So you like green? Do you normally like darker colors or lighter ones?”

“Darker,” I murmured, blushing slightly. I felt like I was being interviewed. 

“Nice. I'll pick out some options for you to choose from, how's that?”

I nodded enthusiastically, already feeling at ease with Mikey. Almost dangerously so, a small corner of my mind reminded me, but I pushed the thought away. It had been so long.

“Here..” Mikey handed me the tv remote and I stared at it blankly. He sighed and took it back gently, showing me all the right buttons to press. I flicked through channels, not sure what I was looking for. 

“Look for Nickelodeon, they do lots of animated cartoons, like for kids. I think you'd enjoy it.”

I blinked. “Animated cartoons?” I echoed, trying out the new words. 

“Yeah,” Mikey smiled at me patiently. “Like drawings, but they move. You'll like it.”

I finally found the right channel, pressing the select button. I blinked. 

“Why is that one square and yellow..?”

Mikey glanced up from his laptop. “Because he's a sponge. Like from the sea. SpongeBob SquarePants. And the other one is Patrick Star, he's a starfish.”

I shook my head. “I don't understand this tv, Mikey.”

He chuckled softly. “That's okay, Frank. Just watch for a while, you’ll get the idea.” 

 

I sat happily for a while, giggling at the jokes I understood and picking at the pilling on my sweatpants when I got confused. 

“Frank?”

I jerked my head up and Mikey smiled at me, patting the sofa cushions next to him. “Come have a look at what I found..”

I nodded, slipping out of the chair and sitting down next to him a little uncertainly. He showed me all the options he'd picked out and let me choose my favorites, praising me softly with each selection. 

“Mm, those ones will be really nice and soft, good choice,” he smiled as I chose the last item - a pair of jeans. “I'll get Gerard to order them for you when he's done working.”

I nodded and Mikey reached out, rubbing my knee gently. “You look exhausted, Frank. Why don't you try to take a nap before dinner?”

I blinked at him and he smiled a little wider. “You'll feel better..”

I nodded slightly and he stood up, grabbing a couple pillows and a blanket from the pile on the floor. “Here. There ya go,” he grinned as I made my bed quickly and curled up, tugging the blanket over me and wriggling down to be comfortable. 

 

_ I screamed, grabbing at my master’s legs, trying to pull him back. The chains wrapped tightly around my ankles restrained me as he finally stepped away and turned around. There was a small white bundle in his arms. I sat up on my knees, clasping my hands in front of me shakily. My ankles were bleeding, and I could taste iron in my mouth as well. My stomach still ached from the stitches.  _

_ “Please please, I'll do a-anything! Please sir, please! Oh god, I swear I'd do anything!” _

_ He laughed and pulled a knife from his pocket, flipping it open. I couldn't look away as he dug it in, slicing across. Red spilled out and he dropped the bundle unceremoniously in front of him.  _

_ I screamed again, no longer in fear but instead in pure, visceral pain as I dragged the bundle close, rocking it in my arms as I sobbed, whispering to it in between breaths.  _

 

Gerard was leaning over me when I opened my eyes and screamed. He flinched back, but quickly scooped me up, sitting down on the couch and holding me in his lap. I struggled against him, trying to get to a white bundle of sheets lying on the floor. 

He gently pulled me back and I sank my teeth into his arm viciously, sliding to the floor as he cried out. I grabbed at the bundle, my heart dropping as I searched the sheets with building frustration and fear. I eventually sat back and screamed again, the tears finally coming as I came crashing back to reality. 

Mikey suddenly knelt down beside me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “Hey, little one. Hey. It's okay. Shh. It's alright.”

“It's n-not! N-not okay!”

I dug my nails into my palms, rocking myself frantically. Gerard scooped me up again and easily threw me over his shoulder as he walked down the hall. I hung there limply, completely and utterly exhausted. I felt emotionally dead. 

He set me down on his bed, shutting the bedroom door. I just lay there, waiting for him to rip my boxers off. 

Instead, the bed sank slightly and Gerard put a hand on my knee. 

“Hey there. I think I know what you dreamed about, can you let me know if I'm right?”

I nodded slightly. 

“Okay. The doctor told me today that you had a baby, and you carried it-”

“Her.” I spat softly, flexing my fingers as sudden, short-lived anger flooded me. 

“Her. You carried her to term. And that you probably weren't allowed to keep her. Did you dream about losing her?”

I nodded shakily, my face crumpling up as I tried to hold back tears. Gerard sighed, wrapping his arms around me and lifting me up to lean against his chest. “Oh, Frankie. I'm so sorry, honey. I've got you now. I know nothing will ever replace your baby girl, but me and Mikey are your family now. We’re gonna take such good care of you, I promise. Maybe one day you'll have another baby or maybe one day you'll get to punch your master in the face...maybe one day, karma will come for that fucker...anyway. I'm here. Mikey's here. We're here if you need us.”

I buried my face in his shoulder, his arms around me suddenly feeling warm and safe instead of tight and restrictive. 

“I'm sorry I kind of snatched you and brought you in here, but I wasn't sure if you'd want Mikey to know or not. About your baby girl.”

I shrugged and he sighed softly, rocking me slowly. “I'll go and explain, you wait here..”

I fell back onto the bed as he let go of me, standing up. 

“You stay there, Frankie..”

He slipped out of the room, shutting the door behind him quietly. I sniffed and lifted my shirt, running a finger along the jagged scar. I tried to get off the bed and fell, crying out softly as I landed on the floor. I curled up, feeling the darkness wrap around me slowly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this fic is gonna be mostly depressing..  
> Anyway, I'm going to try to stick to everyday but it's gonna be hard for a while, sorry about that.


	3. Chapter 3

**F**

I woke up in Gerard's bed the next morning, rolling over sleepily and nuzzling the pillows with a soft noise. I heard footsteps and sat bolt upright immediately. 

“Hey, Frank. It's okay,” Gerard murmured from behind me. “You can go back to sleep if you want.”  

I shuddered and he sat down on the edge of the bed as I turned to face him, watching him uneasily. 

“I gotta go to work today, hon, but Mikey's here. He'll take care of you, yeah?”

I nodded, hugging my knees and looking away. Gerard tried to stroke my hair and I hissed at him, slapping his hand. 

He sighed and nodded, gesturing for me to come closer to him. “Let me take that collar off, at least. Yeah? Breakfast is in the fridge, Mikey's not up yet..”

I blinked, freezing up as he unlocked the collar. “He knows to put this back on if you try to run, okay?” Gerard said softly, looking at me seriously. “But I want to leave it off. I really do.”

I nodded slightly, shuffling away from him. He smiled sadly and stood up. “I care about you, Frankie. I'll see you later.”

The door clicked shut behind him and I yawned, laying back down and curling up. 

~

“Frank? Frank, I reheated breakfast. You hungry?”

I sat up sleepily, rubbing my eyes as light footsteps drew nearer to me. “Mm..”

Mikey chuckled softly, smiling at me as my eyes finally focused on him. 

“Hey. You hungry?” He repeated gently. I nodded, staring at him until he backed away. I slipped out of bed, stumbling slightly and whimpering as I fell to my knees. Mikey crouched down, rubbing my back slowly. “What's wrong?”

“D-don't know..”

I grabbed onto the bed, heaving myself up, but my knees gave out again and I slid to the floor. Mikey watched worriedly, scratching his head. 

“Are you tired? Or is there something else going on?”

I shrugged, burying my face in my hands as I suddenly started to feel dizzy. 

“Um...your collar, Frank. Would taking it off make you feel any different?”

I shrugged and he pulled out his phone, fiddling with it. I leaned against the side of the bed, closing my eyes and trembling slightly. I felt weak and useless, everything suddenly heavy. 

“Frank, when were you first sold?” Mikey asked quietly. I held up five fingers with difficulty. 

“This website says that if shifters are taken younger than ten and kept with a collar on until at least sixteen, they lose out on time developing their power and it all kind of...comes at once. It says you should eat plenty and rest a lot, and definitely not try using it for a week. I'm assuming no one ever took the collar off?”

I shook my head slowly, groaning softly. 

“Okay. Okay. I'm gonna pick you up really carefully, and I'm gonna take you to the couch, so you can eat your breakfast and rest, sound good?”

I nodded slightly and Mikey scooped me up carefully, humming softly as he carried me to the living room, setting me down on the couch carefully. 

“I'm gonna call Gerard and tell him what's going on, okay?”

I shrugged and curled up against the back cushions of the couch, burying my face in the fabric. Mikey hurried off, coming back a couple minutes later and tapping my shoulder. 

“Frank. Breakfast, sweetie. Come on..”

I uncurled slowly, taking the plate from him carefully and blinking at it. 

“Eggs, bacon, and hash browns. Very tasty and lots of protein. I know it doesn't look like a lot, but Gerard told me the doctor said to increase your portions slowly. I can get you as many snacks as you want.”

I nodded, smiling at him before digging in hungrily. He tugged out his phone and dialed a number, walking out of the room with the phone to his ear. 

~

“Is he okay?”

“I think so. He's been asleep all day, except for mealtimes.”

“That ought to do him some good, at least,” Gerard hummed, brushing my hair out of my face. I shifted and let out a soft sigh, stretching deeply. 

Mikey chuckled softly. “You stretch like a cat, Frankie. It's adorable.”

I rolled over and nuzzled the back cushions again, yawning. Gerard snorted. “I guess that's all the time we get with Frank today. Goodnight, Frank.”

I smiled slightly as Mikey laughed. 

“I think he needs a bath,” he murmured after a pause. “Frankie. Are you up to having a bath?”

I blinked, lifting my head slightly. Gerard's bath was amazing. I was used to a cold metal tub with cold water, not the huge, comfortable tub Gerard had with endless warm water. It was pure heaven. 

“I think he likes the idea,” Gerard chuckled. “Do you want a bath, honey? You can have one, we’re not trying to trick you..”

I sat up a little shakily and Mikey grinned at me. “Yeah! Reckon you can walk?”

I shrugged and slipped off the couch, going straight to my knees and pulling a face. Gerard hummed and picked me up carefully, carrying me down the hall with Mikey hurrying after us. Gerard set me down on the bathroom counter and smiled at me. “Okay, Frank. We’re gonna need to help you in and out of the water, which means we’re gonna have to help you undress and dry off and everything. Which one of us would you rather have to help you?”

I blinked, biting my lip. Suddenly, a bath didn't sound so nice. I pointed to Mikey shakily and he smiled sadly. “Okay, Frank,” Gerard murmured, squeezing my shoulder. “You can call me if you need anything.”

Mikey nodded and I watched Gerard leave, shutting the door behind him. I tried to slide off the counter and Mikey caught me quickly. “Frank, hold on a second..”

He gently slipped my shirt off, smiling at me sadly. “There we go. That okay?”

I shivered and Mikey quickly leaned over, turning the bath taps on. “There we go. You're okay, Frankie. You're so brave..”

He undid the drawstring on my sweatpants and I sniffed, closing my eyes tightly. He lifted me up slightly to take them off, rubbing my side slowly. “So brave, Frankie. That's it. You're so brave, I'm so proud of you..”

Even with my eyes shut, I could tell he was staring. I tried to cover my thighs and stomach with my hands, but there were too many scars to hide them all. Mikey sighed quietly, lifting me up carefully. He slipped my boxers off and I whimpered softly, tears leaking out from under my lashes. “Shh, it's okay. You're so brave,” Mikey praised gently, lowering me into the warm water. “Here, open your eyes, Frankie. Look.”

He showed me a few bottles. “They're all bubble bath, you can pick whichever one you want..”

I sniffed them all shyly and pointed to the middle one. Mikey smiled at me and stirred some of the soap in. I giggled softly as bubbles frothed up almost immediately, poking at them happily. 

“That's it. Nice and relaxed,” Mikey murmured, stroking my hair slowly. “I'll leave you to soak for a minute, okay?”

I nodded and he slipped out of the room, leaving the door open a tiny crack. After a while, I turned the tap off and curled up, closing my eyes. 

I could hear Mikey talking to Gerard in the other room. 

“He's covered, Gee. Head to toe scars. He's even been branded, for fuck’s sake! I c-can't stand it! Why would anyone do that to another person?”

“Mikey, shh. Calm down, hon. I think Frank has very good hearing, and he hates swearing. Okay? Deep breaths. It's horrific and it’s kinda scary, but there's nothing we can do to fix his past. We gotta focus on making his future better. He's got family now.”

Mikey sighed. “I just wanna punch the person who did that to him.”

“I know. I do too, but it's not worth digging up his past. We need to keep him focused on moving forward, he’ll get less nightmares that way too.”

“Okay. I'm gonna go make him a snack..”

“Sounds good.”

It went quiet and I curled up, a wave of exhaustion breaking over me as my eyes slipped closed. 

~

I woke up coughing, vomiting onto the floor shakily. Gerard slapped my back again, and I coughed up more water, taking deep, desperate breaths. 

“Jesus...I'm sorry, Frankie. It's okay. Oh my god..”

He pulled me into his arms, burying his face in my shoulder and squeezing me gently. 

“Fuck...I thought we were gonna lose you..”

Mikey sighed quietly, pulling at Gerard’s arm lightly. “Give him breathing space, Gee..”

Gerard reluctantly let go of me and I threw up again, sobbing softly. 

“It's okay, Frankie. Shh,” Gerard murmured. “Don't worry about the mess. It's okay. Come on, I think you need to get back in to clean off.”

Mikey nodded slightly as Gerard lifted me up carefully, gently lowering me back into the tub. I curled up miserably, staring at him blankly. 

“The tub is too big for you,” he explained gently, smiling at me sadly. “You fell asleep and slipped in. We’ll figure something out to make it safer, but for now someone will have to sit with you while you bathe, okay?”

I nodded shakily and he leaned over, kissing the top of my head. “You're safe now...I'm gonna change out of my wet clothes, okay? Mikey's coming in to clean up..”

~

I curled up on the sofa in my boxers, shivering. Gerard was watching me worriedly. “Frank, what are all the scars on your back?”

I shuddered. “Whips.”

“And the rest are?”

“Knives. Cigarettes. Hot metal.”

Gerard rubbed one hand over his face. “Oh fuck..” 

I flinched and he waved a hand quickly. “Sorry, I'm not swearing at you. It's okay. I'm just...I don't understand how anyone can be that sadistic.”

I stared at him blankly. “You don't know the half of it.” 

He looked at me as if the bottom had just fallen out of his world. “What?”

I repeated myself more slowly and he pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. 

“Jesus. No wonder you can't trust us..”

Mikey walked in with a plate, smiling at me. “Hey, Frankie. I brought you a nice snack. Are you gonna let Gerard look at your scars?”

I nodded slightly, taking the plate carefully and looking at it blankly. 

“It's cheese, Frank. It's made from milk, it's nice.”

I nibbled at one of the bready, crunchy things underneath. 

“That's a cracker, it's like toast, I guess. Just try a bite..”

I took a tiny bite and moved it around in my mouth, not sure about the flavor. Gerard sighed and waved the pot of scar cream. “May I?”

I nodded and he walked over to me, sitting down on the sofa behind me and starting to rub the stuff into my back slowly. It was cold, and I didn't like the feeling of his fingers running over my ridged skin. 

“I don't think this is gonna work on your back,” Gerard sighed after a minute or so. “There's too much scar tissue..”

Mikey gently took the plate from me and sat down on the coffee table, holding it out so I could still get to the snack. Gerard moved to sit in front of me, rubbing more cream into the skin on my stomach. 

“I'm proud of you, Frank,” Mikey said softly. “You've been so brave today. You really are an angel.” 

I sniffed and Gerard smiled at me shakily, his own eyes sad and despairing. 

“Mikey, can you fetch his sweats? I'll do his legs tomorrow...you look tired, Frank. We’ll put you to bed soon, yeah?”

I nodded, swaying slightly. Gerard chuckled softly and handed me another cracker with cheese on top. “Mikey's right. You're doing so well and we’re both very proud..”

I swallowed a bite and yawned, letting out a soft, involuntary whimpering noise after. Gerard sighed. 

“You are probably the most adorable thing on this earth, Frank.”

~~~

Gerard had already left by the time I woke up that morning. He'd slept on his couch again, with me in the bed. I didn't protest. 

There was a gentle knock on the door. 

“Frank? You up, hon?”

“Mm..”

He pushed the door open carefully and smiled at me. “How're you feeling?”

I rubbed my neck lightly. “Better.”

“Good..”

I slipped out of bed and tried to stand, but could only manage a few seconds before going to my knees. 

“Whoops,” Mikey sighed, scooping me up. “Okay. Do you wanna go into the living room or stay in here?”

“Living room.”

“Okay..” 

Mikey carried me out carefully, laying me down on the couch. 

“Look what Gerard got you yesterday,” he hummed, handing me a couple magazines. “He said you seemed interested before.”

I nodded, smiling as I ran my fingers over the pictures. Mikey squeezed my shoulder. 

“I'm gonna go get you some breakfast.”

I flicked through the magazines while he was gone, soon setting them aside and curling up. 

Mikey came back with a plate and stared at me. “Did you finish those magazines already?”

I nodded slightly. 

“Wow, you're a fast reader..”

I blushed and looked away. Mikey blinked. 

“Oh. You can't read?”

I shook my head slightly and he sighed. “Wow. Here, sit up..”

He handed me the plate and I took it shyly, a little worried. 

“I can teach you if you like,” Mikey murmured as he sat down next to me. 

I nodded quickly, grinning at him. “Y-yeah...please..”

“I'd love to.”

~

Gerard walked over to me as soon as he got home, crouching down. “Hey, hon.”

I smiled at him and he grinned. “I love that smile.”

“I'm learning to read,” I announced, pointing to the magazine. 

Gerard blinked and I flinched away as anger flashed in his expression. 

“That's great, Frankie,” he sighed softly. “I'm just...I'm sad for you that you didn't learn when you were young.”

I sniffed, hugging my knees as I reminded myself how dangerous Gerard was. I couldn't let my guard down. 

“Gerard, can I talk to you for a second?” Mikey called from the kitchen. Gerard smiled at me, straightening up.

“I'm sure you'll be reading whole books in no time, Frankie..”

I hummed and lifted my magazine again, pretending to try and read it as he walked out of the room. 

 

“Gerard, I was doing some googling today, and I found out what his brands are.”

I dropped my magazine, fear shooting through me. I'd tried to scratch the brands off with a makeshift knife during my last stint in the auctioneer’s compound Gerard had picked me up from, but it hadn’t worked very well. 

“They've been kind of covered by other scars, but I'm pretty sure Frank has been sold as a fairly high grade slave.”

“What are you saying?” Gerard asked quietly, his voice a little shaky. 

“I'm saying that he was sold as a sex slave, essentially. He was sold as a pet rather than a worker. He's been sold three times, all three as that grade.”

Gerard took a deep, shuddery breath. 

“I know,” Mikey mumbled. “I did some digging and I've found his previous owners. All of them male, one human and two vampires. It doesn't seem like he's had any kind of adverse contact with females or kids of any age, which is why he was happy to be checked out by the female doctor and why he seems more at ease with me. You're his biggest threat, basically.”

I swallowed, pulling my knees up to my chest. 

“But I'm not..I'm not gonna…hurt him..”

“I know, and I think he understands that on some level, but he's still...scared. It's like if I put a needle down next to you and told you I wasn't gonna use it on you, you'd still be uneasy.”

Gerard sighed again, and I heard him shift. “So. What's...what's the outcome of all this? What do we do?”

Mikey hesitated. “I don't know, Gee. I guess we just keep going the way we are. I mean...just..it helps us understand why he's so scared.”

“Mhm. God, I don't think I can take it. I can't keep finding all this shit out and knowing how much he's been hurt and abused and...fuck. He's so cute and tiny and sweet and I just…”

Gerard trailed off and Mikey paused before speaking. “Gerard...you're not attracted to him, are you?”

There was a short silence. “Yes, but who wouldn't be?”

I felt my stomach drop and buried my face in my knees, shaking slightly as Gerard went on. 

“He's cute, he's got stunning eyes, and he's so...I don't know. Special somehow. He's fragile, though. I can't imagine ever...ever finding anyone that skinny sexy. It's just...scary. But none of it matters, because he doesn't like me. He's got PTS and he's probably never going to want a relationship, or at least not a sexual one.”

Mikey hummed quietly. “You never know, Gerard. People have a habit of bouncing back. Look, this conversation is irrelevant right now anyway. He needs to heal and grow into himself without the collar, and he needs to get nice and strong. We need to protect him and build his confidence, and I just figured you should know what I'd found.”

“Yeah, thanks,” he sighed softly. “Are you making dinner?”

“Mhm. Won't be long now, go sit with Frank for a while. He's learning how to read and he's super proud of himself..”

I curled up tighter as I heard quiet footsteps coming closer. “Frank? What's wrong?”

I shrank against the cushions, trying to hide from him as I knew I couldn't run. 

“Sh-...crap. You heard us talking, huh?”

I nodded slightly, sniffling as I kept my eyes focused straight ahead of me. Gerard sighed and sat down on the coffee table. 

“Okay. Yes, I'm gay. I find you attractive because you're a very handsome young man, Frank. But I know how important consent is. Do you know what that word means?”

I shook my head quickly, rubbing my eyes shakily. 

“Well, it means that...consent is something you give to someone. So if I wanted to kiss you, I'd have to get consent from you. You'd have to tell me that it was okay for me to kiss you.”

I shifted my gaze, staring at him blankly. 

“I guess that's probably a fairly new concept, huh?” Gerard sighed, running a hand through his hair as he looked at me miserably. 

I nodded a tiny bit, blinking slowly.

“Well...most people do operate on the rules of consent, and it's very important legally, because if a free person does something sexual to another free person without their consent, that person could be sent to jail. I consider you to be a free person. I'm waiting on the paperwork, because nothing ever happens quickly in this county, but I will free you soon. So, if I ever do something to you that you don't like or you didn't give consent for, you could call the police and they'd arrest me.” He held up his hands and smiled at me sadly. “I won't ever do anything to you without your consent, but I hope that makes you feel a little safer, anyway. And we’re gonna get you stronger, right? A little more meat on those bones. Would you like a hug?”

I shook my head slowly and he smiled. “Okay. That's fine. No means no in this house.”

He got up and moved to sit next to me. “Show me these new reading skills, I'm excited.”

I blushed, shuffling away from him slightly as I grabbed my magazine. 

“Ro-ck Sound.”

Gerard grinned, nodding slightly. “Perfect. Here.” 

He handed me another one. 

“Good Food. That's easy,” I smiled, taking it from him carefully. I opened it on my knees, pointing to the title of an article. “Low fat cake reck-...res...recips..”

Gerard hummed softly. “Recipes. That's a little harder, huh?”

I nodded, glaring at the word. “Recipes. What's a recipe?”

He leaned back, putting his feet up on the coffee table. “It's like a set of instructions on how to make food. Look. It gives you a list of what you need, and all the steps to making it.”

“What's cake?”

Gerard sighed and I flinched. “I'm not frustrated, it's okay,” he said quickly. “I'm just...I'm sad that you don't know these things. Cake is like sweet bread, but really nice. It usually has fillings like cream or jam or frosting.”

“Why is it round?” I asked, pointing to the picture. 

“You're so talkative this evening, I love it,” Gerard smiled, then shrugged. “I don't know. They invented cake a long long time ago, and I guess they just liked circles.”

I giggled and nodded. “How do you cut portions?”

“You get like...wedges. Like pizza.”

“Pizza?”

Gerard laughed and ran a hand through his hair. “You have a lot to learn, little one. Pizza is like a thin bread base with tomato sauce and then cheese, and you bake it. You can put all kinds of toppings on it, like pepperoni, which is basically spicy sausage.”

Mikey walked into the living room, smiling at me. 

“Hey, Frank. Dinner is gonna be about ten minutes, okay?”

I nodded, biting my lip. “Do you like cake?”

He chuckled. “I don't think I've met anyone who doesn't..”

Gerard stood up suddenly, making me flinch. “Whoops. Sorry, Frank. I'm just gonna run into town, Mikey. I'll be two minutes, okay?”

Mikey gave his brother a weird look. “Fine. Your dinner will be cold and it'll be all your fault.”

Gerard rolled his eyes and walked out of the room quietly. Mikey sat down next to me, tapping on a page. “What's that say, Frankie?”

I squinted at the small words. “You can oose-”

“Use,” he corrected gently. 

“Use. You can use self-rising fl-...flur? Flor?”

“Flour,” Mikey murmured. “It's pronounced the same as flower, with a ‘w,’ remember that word?”

I nodded, biting my lip softly. 

“Yeah so you know what a flower is, but that-” he said, pointing to the word. “That’s a grain like wheat that's been ground up really fine and you use it to make bread and other baked things.”

I smiled slightly. “That's silly.”

“I know, it is. They sound exactly the same. Anyway, finish up your sentence,” Mikey prompted. 

“You can use self-rising flour instead of pla-...plain, but make...sor..”

“Sure.”

“Make sure to sift...sift?”

Mikey nodded slightly. 

“Make sure to sift it first.”

“Yeah! Perfect, Frankie! I'm really impressed, you're doing so well..”

I blushed and heard a ping from the kitchen. Mikey rubbed my shoulder briefly and got up, walking off. I put my magazine away and curled up, staring at the blank screen of the tv. I wondered briefly where Gerard was just as Mikey walked in, handing me a bowl. “Meatballs and penne cause we didn't have spaghetti.”

I took the bowl, looking at it a little warily. 

“They're just...well, round balls of meat, and that red stuff is tomato sauce. Pasta is...pasta, it's made from grains and eggs and things, like bread.”

I nodded and stabbed one of the meatballs, shoving it in my mouth. “Mmm.”

Mikey rolled his eyes and sat down next to me, turning the tv on. “Your table manners need some improving..”

I blinked and he smiled at me. 

“It's okay, Frank, just try cutting one of the meatballs in half next time. It's a better sized bite and you can get some pasta in as well.”

I did so carefully, and Mikey grinned at me. “Perfect.”

He flicked through the channels and settled on something I didn't recognize.

I hadn't been allowed to watch much tv, but one of my masters had liked to watch movies with me. I'd pop the popcorn for him and we'd sit on the couch together and curl up. It would inevitably end in me getting pinned down and fucked on the couch or against the wall mercilessly, but it had always been fun while it lasted. 

The front door opened and shut and Gerard walked into the kitchen, then into the living room with a bowl. 

“Frank?”

I looked at him, freezing up. 

“Do you have a birthday?”

I swallowed my bite and nodded. “October.”

He smiled at me. “Okay. Did you ever get to have a birthday party?”

I shook my head slowly and Gerard pulled a face. 

“That sucks. Sorry, Frank.”

I shrugged and went back to eating my dinner. 

~

I was just settling down after finishing my food, watching cartoons with Mikey, when Gerard carried a bowl in from the kitchen. 

“Here..”

He handed it to me and I peered inside, confused. 

“It's cake,” Gerard grinned, offering me a spoon. “Chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. Ice cream is exactly what it sounds like, it's a cold creamy dessert. Try it..”

I took a tiny bite of the ice cream and my eyes widened. Mikey laughed, rubbing my shoulder gently. “Have some of the cake..”

I took another small bite and smiled, nodding. “S’nice. But I'm full..”

Gerard pulled a sad face. “Aw. Okay. There's plenty more, okay? You can have some later if you want a snack.” 

I nodded and curled up as Mikey took the bowl from me gently. “Thank you...I'm tired..”

Gerard smiled softly and offered me his hand. “Bedtime?”

I nodded, grabbing onto him and letting him lift me up off the couch. He carried me to his room, carefully tucking me into the bed and rubbing my shoulder gently. “There ya go. Got everything you need?”

I nodded again, yawning. He chuckled and kissed the side of my head. “Goodnight, Frank. Get some sleep.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well  
> Some more stuff about Frank and some fluff. There is some big time drama coming up so..


	4. Chapter 4

**F**

Gerard helped me up, holding my hand as I shuffled to the bathroom. “Hey! Look at you go..”

I blushed, shutting the door in his face. He laughed and I heard him walk away down the hall. 

I peed and washed my hands, glancing in the mirror nervously. I had usually avoided mirrors. 

My face looked much better, less gaunt and more filled out, life and color coming back to my cheeks. 

Mikey had gone home last night, and I had to go to work with Gerard. 

I slipped out of the bathroom, using the wall for support as I walked into the kitchen. Gerard was waiting for me, holding my collar. 

I gritted my teeth and he shook his head. “It's not real. It's not yours, Frank, I had one made that looks exactly like a dampening slave collar, but it's not. It won’t take away your powers, but it'll help keep you safe. My work...the people aren't all very nice, and if they think you're my property, they're more likely to leave you alone. Yeah?”

I nodded slightly and let him clip it on, sighing. 

“I promise I'll take it off as soon as I get home, hon..”

I sniffed and shrugged, glancing at his arm. The bite wound I’d left there had stopped bleeding a while ago, but it was still wrapped tightly in gauze. 

Gerard smiled at me and leaned down, kissing my forehead softly. “Come on, Frankie…”

He offered me his hand and I stared at it suspiciously for a while before taking it, following him out to the car. 

“There's some snacks in the backseat for you to take, okay?” He said quietly as he opened the passenger door for me. “I might not be around much and you need to keep eating.”

I nodded, getting in and buckling my seatbelt. 

~

Gerard turned the car into a lot near a back alley, parking the car and looking at me as he turned it off. “Frank, I need you to be good for me today. When I ask you to stay somewhere, I need you to listen, okay? It's very important..”

I nodded and got out of the car, grabbing the carrier bag of snacks from the back. Gerard smiled at me and waited for me to catch up before walking me into the large, imposing building. It looked like it was falling apart, with boarded up windows and paint peeling off the heavy metal doors. He walked me up the stairs all the way to the fourth floor, then pushed open another peeling door. 

It was an office, with a large mahogany desk and a plush carpet. The walls were painted nicely and everything looked clean and tidy. There was a mini fridge and a small bar with several bottles of alcohol. There were also two plush chairs in front of the desk and a couch in the corner behind it, with blankets and pillows set out. 

Gerard pointed to the couch. “That's yours, Frankie, okay? You can sleep there if you like, or just sit there. There's water and soda in the mini fridge, and the bathroom is through that door there next to the sofa. Sound good?”

I nodded and set my bag down near the couch, quickly making myself a bed and crawling into it. 

The door clicked and I looked up as a tall, thin man walked in. He was wearing a tight t shirt, and I could see the outline of lean muscles on his arms and shoulders. 

“Andy,” Gerard smiled, pulling him into one of those strange ‘man hugs.’ 

“Hey. Haven't seen you for a while, where’ve you been?” He asked, his voice gravelly and unpleasant. I curled up a little tighter as his pale blue eyes landed on me. “Ah...is that the little cunt?”

Gerard sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “His name is Frank, and I've been taking care of business,” he growled, his voice getting sharper at the end. I blinked, confused. He'd never spoken like that around me before. 

“Fine, fine,” Andy said quickly, taking a step back and holding his hands up. He shot me a grin and I shuddered. “But maybe next time business doesn't take so long, the guys have been getting restless.”

“They can handle shit without me, that's why I fucking hired them,” Gerard snapped, cracking his knuckles. I hid behind my pillow, taking a deep breath. 

“Yeah, but-”

Andy cut himself off and sighed. “Look, the Jacks have been skimming again, they're starting to branch out into our market, as it were, and you not being here is making the guys nervous about it. You're the..the big man, the boss. You gotta act like it.”

Gerard laughed and shook his head. “You wanna see me act like it?” He snarled suddenly, and I flinched. “Fine. Frank, stay here.”

He shoved past Andy and out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Andy scoffed and walked after him, closing the door more quietly. I slipped off my couch, running low to the ground across to the mini fridge, ripping it open and grabbing several bottles. I bolted back to the couch, tucking them in around the cushions before pushing the bag under it, terrified of my only food supply being taken away from me. I climbed back under the blanket, staring at the ceiling for a while. 

Despite the now ebbing fear, I felt myself getting more and more curious and restless. I had to know what Gerard was doing. I tugged at my collar as I thought, trying to decide whether to go. He’d told me to stay, but he hadn’t been looking at me. I could say I hadn’t heard him.

I finally slipped off the couch, crawling across the floor. I opened the door a crack and peered out. I couldn’t hear or see anything. The place seemed dead. 

I got to my feet slowly and slipped out of the room. I was  _ good  _ at sneaking. 

I didn’t bother looking around the floor I was on, knowing that the two men had gone downstairs. I couldn’t hear anything on any of the other floors, so I snuck around the ground floor for a while, peering through doors. The building was pretty much empty, except for a room full of stacked boxes, and another room with a table, a fridge, and a kitchenette. 

A shout rang out and I flattened myself against the wall, trying to figure out where it had come from. 

Once I'd decided which direction to go, I crept forward, running from hiding spot to hiding spot down the hall until I came to a big glass door. I crouched down, peering out. 

There was a big courtyard, with a few a leafless trees and some dead grass. Gerard and Andy were standing there, arguing with three other...men.

I looked a little closer and tilted my head. Werewolves. Definitely. 

Gerard suddenly shouted something in a language I didn't recognize and one of the werewolves stepped forward. Gerard punched him in the face and they all immediately started yelling at one another. The werewolf glared at Gerard, blood cascading down from his nose and dripping off his chin as he cowered away from the slightly taller man. Another werewolf lunged at Gerard. 

I had to run what happened next over in my mind a few times before I got it all straight, as it had happened so fast. 

As the werewolf leapt, teeth bared, Gerard had pulled a gun from his jacket smoothly and easily, cocking it and shooting the werewolf in the forehead without looking away from the one with a broken nose. There was a soft yelp and the second werewolf hit the ground with a thud. The others stared at him for a second, then turned and fled. Gerard tucked the gun back away, running a hand through his hair. 

“Get someone to clean this up,” he muttered, turning towards me. Before, I'd only been able to see the side of his face, but now I could see him perfectly, and his expression almost made my heart stop. I scrambled away from the door as he walked up to it, willing myself to get up and run, to run back upstairs and pretend I hadn't seen anything. But I was glued to the spot, my chest heaving and my body shaking as I stared at the handle on the door. It turned and a bolt of visceral terror shot through me. I clamped a hand over my mouth, tears running down my cheeks. He was going to come kill me. He was going to put the gun against my head and pull the trigger. I was going to die. 

Gerard pushed the door open, mumbling something to himself. He stopped and turned in the doorway, glancing behind him. As he turned back, he spotted me and everything else dropped away as we stared at one another. 

He suddenly pushed the door shut and I felt the tears dry up. I was so scared I couldn't feel anything anymore, not even my heart pounding against my ribcage. I had shut down completely, unable to move and barely able to breathe as Gerard crouched down. 

“Hey. I told you to stay upstairs,” he murmured in a sickly sweet voice. “I wish you'd listened to me, Frankie. Did you see me shoot that man?”

I blinked, letting my hand slip from my mouth. He sighed and knelt down, moving slightly closer to me. 

“He was a bad man, Frankie. He did that to one of my employees. He shot him just like that, for no reason. I had to do it, he was threatening more of the people I'm supposed to protect. He was threatening me. I wouldn't do anything like that to you, because I care about you and you'd never hurt me..”

He inched closer to me and I stared at his arm. He followed my line of sight and sighed. 

“Frankie, that's just...a flesh wound. It doesn't even hurt anymore, and besides, you were scared. You didn't do it because you hated me or just wanted to hurt me. That would be mean, and I'd be upset about that.”

I just sat there, watching him slowly move closer to me. I wanted to run so badly my legs were itching, but I couldn't force myself to move. 

“I'm never going to hurt you, Frank, and you need to start believing that. How about we go back upstairs and you have a nice nap and we deal with this at home?”

I couldn't even shake my head. 

“Frank, please, I'm trying. I need to explain some things to you, and I don't want to do it right here. Will you go back up to the office with me?”

I just stared at him. Gerard sighed once more and scooped me up, a little surprised when I didn't fight him. I lay limp in his arms, not resisting. I felt at peace all of a sudden. 

I'd feared slow and painful deaths many times before, through starvation, torture, even grief. I welcomed the idea of being shot. If this was my day to die, I would be best off just letting it happen. I could just sit there, he would take out his gun, and my miserable excuse for a life would be over. No more nights spent trying to stop my insides from spilling blood all over the mattress when my masters were done using me. No more days spent cowering in fear and opening my mouth obediently. No more whippings, beatings, no more hot cigarettes. Just blackness. 

Gerard laid me down on the sofa, tugging the blanket over me tenderly. I thought briefly of tugging the gun out of his jacket and finishing the job myself, but decided it would be easier to let him do it. 

He pulled up a chair and sat down close to me, rubbing my side slowly. “I'm sorry, Frankie. You look so scared...I should never have brought you here...look. Let me explain..”

I stared at the ceiling as I listened, disinterested. 

“Mikey...Mikey has this gene..genetic thing...I don't really understand it, but it makes him vulnerable to lung cancer. Very vulnerable. When we were growing up, both of our parents smoked in the house all the time, and Mikey ended up with a really bad tumor. We weren't exactly very rich, and the surgeries and the chemo put us so far in debt that my dad left us. It was right when I turned 21, and so I got a job running drugs. It paid very well and I ended up fairly good at doing the books and running things, and I eventually took over about a year ago. My mom still has debts and I pay them off as well as I can, I do my best. All I want is for her to have a good sum for retirement and for Mikey to have a college fund. After that, I'm going back to university and I'm gonna get my Ph.D. and I'm gonna do something good with my life, but right now I gotta do this for my family. Do you understand?”

I shrugged and Gerard sighed, rubbing my chest slowly. “I don't like my job, Frank. I don't enjoy yelling all day and punching people and shooting people. But it pays for my family.”

“I've never had a family,” I muttered bitterly. “So I guess I don't understand.”

Gerard frowned and brushed my hair away from my face. “Oh honey. You have me and Mikey. We're your family now, yeah? If you'll have us..”

I looked away and he leaned back in his chair. 

“Look. I know this is gonna take a while for you to get over, and I understand. It's scary and weird and I'm not gonna rush you. I can't force you to trust me. I have to go out for a while, so I'm gonna leave Andy by the door, okay? He knows you're not supposed to leave, and that I want you to be nice and safe in here. There's a tv in that cabinet over there, it's old fashioned and kinda terrible, but you can watch it if you get bored. I'll be back around five and I'll get takeout, okay? We’ll have a feast when we get home.” 

I rolled over purposefully, burying my face in the back cushions. Gerard stroked my hair once. 

“I care about you, Frank.”

He got up and I heard the door click behind him. 

~

I was eating a packet of fruit snacks and watching cartoons I didn't really understand when Andy opened the door and walked in. I looked at him warily, and he smiled. I shuddered. 

There were too many teeth in that smile. 

He walked over to me and sat down in the chair Gerard had pulled up. “What're you watching?”

I pointed to the tv and didn't answer, finishing up the packet and carefully putting the empty wrapper back in my carrier bag before pulling out a packet of potato chips. 

“That's cool,” Andy said, sounding like he wasn't overly worried about what I was watching anyway. 

I felt his hand on my shoulder and shrugged it off quickly, uncomfortable. He had moved closer to me and I could feel his breath on the back of my neck. My heart was trying to escape from the rest of me, but I'd just frozen again. 

Andy ran a fingernail down my spine. “Mm. You have such lovely pale skin..”

I gulped and his hand slipped over my thigh just as I heard footsteps on the stairs and Gerard opened the door. Andy jumped back, standing up quickly and grinning. 

“Hello, boss.”

Gerard ignored him, walking over to me and smiling at me sadly. “Hey. You ready to go home?”

I nodded, slipping off the couch and grabbing my bag quickly. Gerard offered me his hand and I took it, holding on tightly as I followed him to his car. 

~

Our evening was fairly uneventful. I didn't talk to Gerard at all, but he was kind to me, attempting to start conversations and encouraging me to read some new magazines he'd gotten for me. I ate my first Indian takeout enthusiastically, and had cake for dessert, then went to bed happy and full. I was sleeping in the spare bedroom now, a little farther from Gerard. 

I fell asleep peacefully, forgetting everything about my day as the world went black. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots more drama to come in the next couple chapters...


	5. Chapter 5

**F**

I curled up on my couch in Gerard's office, watching cartoons and munching on my McDonald’s breakfast sandwich happily. Gerard had told me it was a treat, and I did like it. 

I glanced at him. 

He was doing ‘books’ today, apparently, squinting at his computer and shuffling through a pile of papers. I hadn't seen anything of Andy, and I'd seen Gerard lock his gun in his desk drawer this morning, which made me feel a little better. 

I watched him for a while, noting the way his lips pursed when he concentrated. He looked harmless. 

“Gerard?”

He looked up at me. 

“What's a PhD?”

Gerard rubbed the bridge of his nose, sighing. “It's like when you go to school for a really long time and study one subject in depth, you're given a Ph.D. so everyone knows you're an expert on that subject.”

“What do you want to do your Ph.D. on?”

Gerard sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Psychology. I want to be a professor, so teach people at a university.”

I blinked and nodded, opening my mouth for another question. 

“Frank, hon, you know I love it when you ask me questions and we have a nice long talk about stuff, but at the moment, I really have a lot of work to do, Frankie. Can we talk about this a little later on, please?”

I nodded, turning back to my cartoons. 

I should have been afraid of him. But he seemed the same Gerard. He acted the same way around me - kind, gentle, and patient. 

And I had come to terms with the idea of dying. I had decided that dying scared me a lot less than being raped and tortured continuously, and Gerard seemed unlikely to harm me in that way. 

I glanced at him again. 

He noticed this time and flashed me a quick smile before going back to what he was doing. I dug around in my bag and opened a packet of fruit snacks, curling up as I watched the tv. 

~

Gerard gently woke me some time later, smiling down at me as I opened my eyes and let out a soft groan. “Hey. I've gotta go out again for about an hour. Andy's gonna stay here again.”

I blinked, my heart sinking as Gerard walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. I sat up quickly, hugging my knees as I heard Andy's distinctive shuffling footsteps coming closer. 

The doorhandle turned and he slipped in, grinning at me. 

“Hello, Frankie,” he purred, his voice sugary sweet. 

“Leave me alone..” 

My voice sounded weak and shaky, and I winced internally. 

Andy sidled up to me, caressing my cheek. I tried to push his hand away and he slapped me viciously. I cried out, scrambling away from him, but he grabbed my collar and dragged me off the couch, slamming me to the floor. I choked as he dragged me across the carpet, my hands flying up as I tried to grab the collar. 

He finally dropped me on the other side of the room, pinning me down as he leaned over me. “Kiss me, slut.”

I shook my head quickly, turning my head away and squeezing my eyes shut. 

“Cunt!” He yelled, slamming his elbow into my ribs. I gasped and started to sob as he ripped my sweats down. “Kiss me..”

I kissed him as tears poured down my cheeks and he pulled his own cock out, pumping it quickly. 

“Mm, you're so hot, Frankie,” he murmured, grinning down at me. “So cute, such a cute little baby...so scared..” He hissed the last part, flipping me over suddenly. I clawed at the carpet desperately, trying to get away, but I felt the cool edge of a metal blade against my side and froze. 

“Mhm. Stay still, fuck face.”

He grabbed my hips and I screamed, his hand clamping around my mouth quickly. The stretch felt unfamiliar now, after three weeks of respite, and it burned so badly I couldn't help but thrash around under Andy, just trying to get away from the intense pain. 

As he started to thrust, I screamed again and broke down completely, laying limp as I sobbed in pain. After a few deliberately slow movements, I felt his cock start to slide easier, and a little liquid dribble out over my balls. 

I knew what it was and I knew it was red. 

~

I heard the door open and Gerard’s footsteps as he came back in. “Frank? Where are you?”

He wandered around until he came to the bathroom door, knocking lightly. “You in there?”

“Y-yeah..”

I wiped one more time, checking to see that I wasn't bleeding anymore. I sighed in relief and tugged my sweats and boxers back up, then flushed the toilet and washed my hands. 

_ “Don't you ever fucking rat on me, d’you hear? If you try and tell him about this, I will tie you up somewhere he’ll never find you and I'll rip your tongue out, do you understand me? And then I'll shove it up your ass and I'll fuck you so hard you’ll wish you were dead.” _

I opened the door and Gerard looked at me worriedly. “You okay, hon?”

I nodded, smiling slightly. “Mhm. Hungry.”

“Well, it is lunch time,” Gerard smiled, stroking my hair briefly. I stepped forward and buried my face in his chest, smiling a little when he made a soft noise of surprise. He wrapped his arms around me, stroking my hair again slowly as I reached up, grabbing onto the back of his shirt with both hands. 

“Oh Frankie. Such a nice hug, thank you,” Gerard murmured as I broke away. He crouched down and brushed my hair out of my face. “Are you sure you're okay?”

I nodded slightly and he kissed my forehead. “Okay. Come on, there's sandwiches in the bag, yeah?” 

I followed him over to the couch, trying my hardest to walk normally. I sat down, disguising a wince and smiling at him as he handed me my sandwich. I nibbled at the crust, but still felt nauseous and shaky from my encounter with Andy. Gerard didn't seem to notice I wasn't hungry, as he'd gone back to his ‘books,’ so I took a few more tiny bites and put the sandwich back, settling down into the couch. 

~~~

Gerard kissed the side of my head. “Gotta go out. See you in a bit..”

I nodded slightly. I'd had two days of rest at Gerard's work, as he'd stayed in doing the books all day both days. Now he was leaving me alone with Andy again. 

As soon as the door clicked shut behind him, I scrambled off the sofa and grabbed the tube of lube I'd stolen from Gerard's room and hidden in the couch yesterday. I ran to the bathroom, shutting the door behind me and leaning against the counter as I uncapped the lube. I put some on my fingers and shoved them into me unceremoniously and hurriedly. I tried my best to spread it around, biting my lip harshly. Once satisfied, I put the cap back on and hid the tube behind the toilet, washing my hands before going back to the couch. 

Andy slipped in about two minutes later, grinning his shitty grin. I curled up, feeling like chucking up my breakfast already. He sidled over to me and grabbed a handful of my thick black hair. “So beautiful,” he half growled, his pupils blown. I stared at him emotionlessly, my hands laying in my lap passively. It wasn't worth crying or fighting back. I'd learned that early on. 

Andy jerked me suddenly, forcing me off the couch and onto my knees next to it. I felt my eyes sting and fill with tears as he kept a tight grip on my hair, laying a sheet down carefully. 

“Strip and get on it.” 

I did as told quietly, laying on my back and lifting my legs. Andy purred and climbed up, unzipping his jeans. His cock spilled out and I wrinkled my nose. 

“Something wrong with my dick, cunt?”

I couldn't resist. I really couldn't. “It's a little small.”

He spat in my face and slammed into me. 

I bit back a cry and just closed my eyes, letting it happen. I felt much better with the thin coating of lube, even starting to settle into the feeling just as Andy came with a pathetic grunt. 

At least my masters before were decent enough sexual partners to make me cum once or twice. My human master, my middle one, had been my favorite. He'd been more gentle with me, had taken the time to kiss me and finger me before sex. He'd lasted long enough for me to cum as well, unlike Andy. 

I had hated myself some days for enjoying it, and for cumming to the abuse, but I had gotten over that a long time ago. My body was designed a certain way, and when a man used it a certain way, certain things would happen. It didn't mean I liked it, and it didn't make it any less abusive or torturous. I called it making the best of a bad situation. 

Andy whined as he pulled out of me and I felt his cum spill out. I wrinkled my nose again as he ducked down, lapping it up eagerly. I ignored him, staring at the ceiling as he licked a stripe up my balls and dick. He was trying to make me hard, he was trying to get a reaction, so I gritted my teeth and focused on the pattern on the couch cushions instead. 

He was just rubbing my balls when his phone went off and he answered it irritably. 

“What?...when? Oh...okay. Yep. Bye.”

Andy hung up and glared at me, flicking my cock. “Fine. Your daddy is on his way back, so I guess I'm going to have to fast track things a little..”

He produced a whip from God knows where and grinned at me. I kept staring at the ceiling expressionlessly, but couldn't help wincing as the whip bit into my stomach. 

~

I washed the blood off my stomach shakily, barely able to stand straight. I was sobbing now, without really feeling it. The dull ache from my ass was compounding with the stinging from my stomach and I felt like shit. It wasn't the worst I'd had, not by a long, long shot, but it was the first time in a while. 

I dabbed at the bruises on my ribs tenderly, gasping softly. After the whip, he'd dragged me by the collar again and had stomped on my chest. I definitely had broken ribs. 

I had thrown up my breakfast and my lunch, and wiped more blood off my thighs, and now I was finally getting dressed again, whining softly as I forced my torn and bruised skin to twist and turn to get into my sweats. I slipped my shirt on carefully, wincing as I had to lift my hands over my head. 

I was hurting, but I shuffled out of the bathroom and practiced a few normal steps and bright smiles to show Gerard. I sat down to wait, aching and sore. 


	6. Chapter 6

**G**

I walked into the spare room to wake Frank, smiling at his sprawled out body. The weather was starting to heat up and Frank was sleeping more haphazardly, spread out to cool down. I sat down on the edge of the bed, watching him for a while. He looked so calm and relaxed, his hair messy around his face. 

After about a minute or so, his chest started to heave and I could see his eyes moving under his eyelids as he whined softly. I reached out to wake him up just as he moved slightly and suddenly seemed to shrink, his whole body getting smaller as he curled up a little. I blinked, watching him more closely as he seemed to shrink again, less noticeably this time. I frowned, stroking his hair and gently calling his name. His eyes snapped open and he returned to his normal size immediately, rolling away from me quickly. 

“Frank...Frank, honey, I think you were shifting in your sleep..” I mumbled, slightly weirded out. “You seemed to get smaller..”

His breath hitched briefly and he shrugged. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, getting up carefully. “Okay. I'll uh...go make breakfast while you get up..”

~

I wandered down the hall, holding a plate of food and stopping. Frank's door was open a crack, and I could just see inside. He had a cat magazine open on the floor, and was holding his hand out, staring at it. As I watched, his fingers started to grow shorter and stubbier, his nails lengthening as ginger fur grew on his hand. He giggled and I shifted my weight, causing the floorboards to creak and him to jump and scramble up quickly. I pushed the door open, leaning against the frame. 

“Hey. Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. I brought you your breakfast..”

Frank blinked at me and took it with a smile. I folded my arms over my chest. 

“That looked like you were just learning,” I murmured. “Now, when you first came here, you told me you could shift. Was that a lie?”

Frank gulped and looked down, nodding slightly. “Wanted to seem...more able.”

I sighed softly and nodded. “I think I get it. I'm not mad at you and I suspected when you weren't feeling good and Mikey said it was related to your collar and your power. Is there anything I can do to help you get it?”

Frank lifted his head sharply and blinked at me. “No...just..it's about concentration. Just..getting used to it.”

I smiled and tucked my hair behind my ears. “Let me know if I can help, Frankie. Okay? We gotta get to work in about half an hour..”

He nodded and I skipped out, shutting the door behind me as I headed down the hall. 

~

I watched Frank climb onto his couch and sighed to myself. He'd been practicing all morning and in the car on the way, and had been very excited about managing to shift most of his arm to a ginger cat. Now, he seemed exhausted, moving slowly and stiffly as he curled up. 

That day marked the end of the second week I’d been taking him to work with me, and he seemed quiet, but a little more clingy. When I came back from deals and negotiations or visits to production, he was always waiting with a smile on his face, ready for a hug. I had begun to look forward to coming back to my stuffy office, just for my one special Frank hug. 

I pulled my gun out of my jacket and tucked it in the drawer carefully, sliding it shut. 

I got up and Frank glanced at me. 

“I'm going out for an hour, Frank. Okay? I'll be back soon.”

He nodded, flashing me a tiny smile as I walked out. I brushed past Andy on the way, explaining that I was stopping by production and getting Frank a treat on the way back. 

~

I hummed to myself happily as I hurried to the front door, a bag of greasy, hot donuts in my hand. Frank's first donuts. 

I pushed the door open and jogged up the steps, smiling slightly. I'd get my hug and then Frankie would see the donuts and he'd grin and reach out for them with his little hands, and I'd get to see his face as he bit into one. 

I was a little early back, too, which meant he'd be surprised, hopefully in a happy way. 

I finally pushed my office door open and dropped the bag of donuts, staring at the scene in front of me. Frank was crying, tears pouring down his cheeks as he sat on the floor, completely naked. His chest was covered in mottled bruises and fresh whip wounds, his thighs smeared with blood. But what really made my heart pound was the gun he was holding,  _ against his temple.  _

Andy jumped up, rushing over to me. Frank was staring at nothing blankly. 

“Boss, I tried to stop him, I tried, but he did all this and-”

I cut him off by punching him in the face hard enough to send him flying. I slammed and locked the door behind me and crept up to Frank slowly. He'd jumped at the noises, but was still staring at nothing. I slipped my coat off and laid it over him, very gently pulling the gun out of his hand. “That's it, Frankie. Shh. That's it..”

I scooped him up carefully, honestly horrified by his lack of reaction, and carried him to the couch, laying him down as carefully as I could. I pulled a blanket over him and kissed his forehead, at which point he broke down completely, sobbing and gasping for breath. 

I heard groans from the corner. “I wouldn't fucking move if I were you, Andrew,” I snarled, not looking away from Frank as I tried to dry his cheeks. 

“Shh, Frankie. You're okay. I'm here now, and I'm gonna protect you.”

I glanced down at the gun and sighed. It wasn't even loaded, and I guessed Frank hadn't really had much of a firearm education. 

He had just started to calm down a little, his big green eyes wide and sad as he looked up at me, grabbing at my hand, when Andy tried to make a break for it. I cocked the gun and felt him freeze behind me. 

I leaned over, kissing Frank's forehead. “I'll be back in a second, sweetie. Don't look..”

I got up abruptly, tossing the useless gun across the room casually as I stalked up to Andy. The white hot rage was burning my throat and I felt my fingers trembling as I curled them into fists. 

“Your fly is down, and scared young men don't rape themselves.”

Andy's eyes widened and I sighed.

“ _ And  _ you're high. Wasting my products.”

I tutted quietly, folding my hands behind my back. “What do I normally do with men who waste my products? Hmm? Who  _ betray  _ me?”

Andy's jaw slackened for a second. “Please Gerard, please, I just did it once, he's just a slave, I mean-”

My blood boiled and I tasted bile in the back of my throat. I reached out and grabbed the man's hair, dragging him to the couch, but not too close as Frank wriggled away in blind panic, trying to hide himself in the cushions. “Look..” I hissed maliciously. “Look at him. He's absolutely fucking terrified of you. He's a fucking _person_ , Andy. He's not even a fucking slave. He's my family and you hurt him. This shit. This shit is now personal. What. Do. I. Do. To. Thieves?”

“Sh-shoot them...G-Gerard, he's not your family, he's just a sh-shifter...he's..”

“He's too fucking good for you,” I growled softly, my voice getting lower as my anger mounted beyond anything I'd ever felt before. “And as much as I'd enjoy shooting you in the face, that's too good for you as well..”

I threw him to the floor and looked at Frank. “Honey, go into the bathroom, shut the door, turn the tap on, and cover your ears, okay? I'll knock when you can come out.”

He stared at me for a second, shaking his head slowly. I sighed. 

“Frank, you're gonna see things I don't want you to..”

“But I want to,” he said defiantly, albeit shakily. “I n-need this.”

I took a deep breath, considering this. Frank had never seen anyone get what they deserved, everyone who had ever hurt him had just walked away from it without a care in the world. He'd seen gruesome, he'd seen bloody. And I needed to stop treating him like a child. 

I nodded slightly and grabbed a curtain pull from the window, ripping it off the curtain and tying it around Andy's neck. I handed the end of the makeshift lead to Frank. “Don't let him go anywhere..”

He nodded, staring at his captive blankly. I picked the gun up from across the room and tucked it back in the drawer I'd forgotten to lock this morning. I reached back and grabbed the revolver from behind the box of bullets. I slotted four in and spun the chamber before clicking it shut. I wandered into the bathroom and opened the small cupboard, pulling out a broom. I snapped the handle in half over my knee and picked up the half without the brush, walking back into the main room. 

Andy was crawling up to Frank, begging him for something softly. Frank had sat up, and now suddenly struck out, kicking Andy in the face with as much force as he had in his thin legs. As it happened, it was enough to knock a couple teeth out, and Frank looked up at me in horrified satisfaction as Andy spat them onto the floor. 

I grinned and ruffled his hair, taking the end of the rope from him. I untied Andy quickly and snorted when I looked down. He'd pissed himself. 

“That's attractive.” 

I punched him in the face again, laying him out on the floor and leaning over him quickly, slapping his cheek until he opened his eyes, at which point I stood up and stomped on his ribs, causing him to scream as I heard the cracks. 

Frank giggled from his spot on the sofa and I felt a little sick for a second. Sure, I was enjoying seeing the man bleeding and whimpering like an idiot, but I had a temper. Frank was just giddy, and it made me wonder briefly if I should have sent him out after all. 

My thoughts were scattered when Andy tried to get up, swinging at me wildly. I dodged easily and stepped in close, punching again precisely and grinning as he collapsed, blood flowing from his now broken nose. I rolled him onto his stomach, yanking his sodden jeans down and reaching for the broom handle. 

“Gerard!”

I looked up into Frank's gentle green eyes as he stared at me from the couch. “No one deserves that,” he whispered. I dropped the handle and shook my head slowly. 

“You're a better person than I'll ever be,” I sighed, flipping Andy over again as he groaned. I stood up and ran a hand through my hair, then spun the chamber of my revolver again. 

I raised the gun and hummed softly. “Andy. This gun has three bullets in it. Three tries to shoot your dick off, and if the chamber comes up empty three times, you walk.”

I cocked it and pulled the trigger, hearing Frank gasp behind me as the gun clicked softly. I shrugged and spun the chamber again, coming up empty once more. I glanced back at Frank and shrugged with one shoulder, spinning once more and firing quickly, everything seeming to settle around me as Andy screamed. 

~

As soon as two of my other men had dragged Andy out, I locked my guns away and hurried over to Frank, pulling him into a tight, but careful hug. “I'm so sorry, Frankie. So so sorry, I didn't mean for this-”

“Can we talk at home?” Frank mumbled, slurring a little. “I'm so tired..”

I nodded quickly, breaking away and gathering up his clothes. “Of course. You can have a nap in the car, yeah?”

He smiled slightly, swaying a little. I helped him with his clothes, wincing every time he whimpered. 

“You want me to carry you?”

Frank nodded and I scooped him up, not able to get out of that building fast enough. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this update is okay and I hope you're still enjoying this, I don't hear much back from this fic. I'm still struggling with writer's block, just so you guys know. I'm kind of working on three stories at once, so that's fun..  
> Anyway, let me know what you think and thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

**F**

I could smell something sweet and greasy as I opened my eyes. I could hear voices as well, talking. 

“Jesus Christ. I don't understand why he wouldn't shoot him.” 

I sleepily assigned it a label - Mikey. 

“He's broken, Mikey. I don't think he always makes sense.”

That was Gerard. 

“He may have been broken, but he's not anymore. You shouldn't call him that.”

“Fine, but I'm gonna go check on him..”

I stared at the ceiling as I heard Gerard walk into the room. 

“Hey,” he murmured softly, kneeling down by the couch. “Are you comfortable?” 

I nodded slightly. 

“Good. I brought you a treat, hon. Do you think you can sit up to eat some?”

I shrugged and he stroked my cheek slowly, smiling at me sadly. 

“You gotta eat, Frankie. I know you don't feel well, and-”

“You don't know.”

He took a deep breath and nodded slightly. “You're right. I have no idea how you feel. Tell me how to help..”

I blinked and sniffed. “Bath.”

“Okay.” 

Gerard stood up, easily picking me up and carrying me to the bathroom. Mikey was in the hallway, texting on his phone, and smiled at me as Gerard walked past him with me. 

“Hey, Frankie. You okay?”

I shrugged and he nodded, looking back down at his phone. Gerard carried me into the bathroom and turned to his brother. “Can you get Frank some clean clothes?”

Mikey jogged off, coming back just as Gerard sat me down on the kitchen counter. He took the stack from his younger brother and shut the door quickly as he set the fresh clothes down on the counter next to me. 

“Okay. I think I'll rinse you off before the bath, okay?”

I nodded and let him slip my shirt off, blinking away a few tears as he stared at my chest sadly. 

“I'm so sorry, Frankie. But it's not gonna happen again. I promise..”

I undid the drawstring on my sweats and he helped me pull them off along with my boxers. 

“I'm so proud of you, Frank,” Gerard murmured, smiling at me as he lifted me up and set me on my feet carefully. 

I pulled a face. “For what?”

“Being brave.”

He lifted me again, helping me to stand in the tub. He turned the shower attachment on, waiting for it to get warm. 

“It wasn't just once, was it?”

“Two weeks,” I muttered, my voice raspy. “I managed to sneak lube in, but I didn't always have time to use it..”

Gerard sighed and tucked his hair behind his ears, directing the water at the backs of my thighs. “I'm sorry...why didn't you tell me, sweetie?”

“He threatened me,” I said sullenly, watching the rust-colored water run down the drain. 

“You could have-...never mind. It's done now..” Gerard mumbled. “In future, you can tell me about anything. I will help you to the best of my abilities and I will protect you if I have to. You mean the world to me..”

He gently massaged the backs of my thighs to get all the dried blood off, then gently turned me around. “Am I okay to touch?” He asked pointedly, gesturing to my junk vaguely. 

“Yeah, I guess.”

Gerard lifted my balls and cock, rinsing it all free of blood and then starting on the insides of my thighs. Surprisingly, I didn't mind him touching me. It didn't feel sexual, just a simple part of washing me off. 

He finally finished and helped me sit down, then started the water, sitting down next to the tub. 

“Frank.”

I looked up from the rising layer of bubbles, blinking. 

“Why did you have the gun to your head? Why not aiming at Andy?”

I closed my eyes. I'd been dreading this question. 

“Because I'd rather die than face the prospect of suffering again.”

When I opened my eyes, all color had drained from Gerard's face. 

“Frank...do you still feel this way?”

I sank down a little in the water, poking at the bubbles and being careful not to look at him. “No.”

“Why not?” He pressed gently. 

“Because you protected me. You made him feel what I felt. As long as I have you, I don't need to worry about...retirement plans.”

Gerard sniffed and I closed my eyes again just before he leaned over and pulled me into a very wet hug. 

~

Gerard left me to get dressed and I crept out from the bathroom about ten minutes later, hurrying down the hall. Gerard was in the kitchen, fiddling with something. He looked up when I walked in. 

“Hey, Frankie. You okay?”

I blinked at him hungrily and he chuckled. “You want your treat, huh?”

I nodded shyly, and Gerard opened the microwave, pulling out a small white paper bag stained in grease. He tugged out one of the..things, and set it on a small plate for me. “Here..” 

I took it, staring at it warily. It was a small ring, a little squashed and covered in sugar. 

“It's called a donut, but these ones are special cause they're really fresh. Try it.”

I lifted the donut up, nibbling at a corner. Within seconds, it was gone and Gerard was laughing, getting another one out of the bag. “This one has cinnamon.”

“Why are these special?”

“Well, because they're fresh and they're like...fair style donuts, which...it's hard to explain because you've probably never been to a fair,” Gerard mumbled, running a hand through his hair. “I'm sorry, Frank, but it tastes nice, yeah?”

I nodded quickly, polishing off my second one in three bites. Gerard smiled at me, tucking his hair behind his ears. 

“You're so cute..”

I froze up, nearly dropping the plate. Gerard swallowed. 

“Fuck. I'm sorry, Frank, I-”

“Andy called me that..”

Gerard gently took the plate from me and pulled me into a careful hug. “Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry. I won't say it again. I'm sorry. I didn't know..”

I buried my face in his neck and he sighed quietly. “Is it time for bed?”

I nodded slightly. 

~

Gerard tucked me in, kissing my forehead. I was taking his bed again, and he was sleeping on his couch. 

“Goodnight, Frank. Sleep well..”

He flicked the lights off and I curled up as best I could with sore ribs. Despite everything, I was utterly exhausted and fell asleep in seconds. 

 

_ I woke up and tried to roll over sleepily, but my wrists and ankles were bound to the bed frame. I heard my master chuckle and he tapped the end of his whip against my forehead. “Good morning, slut. Today is gonna be a really fun day for you..” _

_ The door swung open and several men walked in, all of them vampires. I whimpered and started to fight against my bindings, panting shakily as they walked closer to me slowly. One of them knelt down over my hips, grinning at me maliciously. I tried to scream, but Master slapped a gag in my mouth as I opened it, chuckling as he fastened it behind my head. “That's it. Be a dear and shut the fuck up. No one cares.” _

_ A whip came down on my swollen stomach and I arched my back again, whimpering around the gag.  _

_ “I wish we could just beat him until it bled out of him..” _

_ “We're trying to break him, remember?” Master snapped. “Stick to the fucking plan. And you, stop moving, cunt!” _

 

Gerard was stroking my hair, talking to me softly and a little frantically. 

“It's okay, shh, shh..”

I grabbed at him, digging my nails into his arm as I shook all over. 

“Hey hey. I've got you,” he soothed, pulling me against his chest and rubbing my back slowly. “Shh. You're okay. It's okay. It's over now, Frankie. No more, I promise. No more ever again..” 

I buried my face in his neck, clinging to him as tightly as I could manage. Gerard stayed there for a while, just holding me until the shakes stopped and my breathing returned to normal. I let go of him, slipping back and falling against the cushions. 

Gerard sat down on the edge of the bed, brushing my hair out of my face. “How about I make you some hot chocolate and we cuddle for a bit? Would that make you feel better?”

I nodded slightly, burying my face in my hands. He sighed softly and I heard him get up and walk out of the room. 

 

Gerard came back about ten minutes later, setting both mugs down on the bedside table and leaning over to help me sit up. “That's it. There you go..” He handed me my mug and carefully sat down next to me, on top of the covers. I leaned against him immediately, seeking warmth and craving his gentle, reassuring touch. I sipped at my drink, staring at nothing for a while. 

“What did you dream about?” Gerard asked after a brief period of silence. I sniffed, snuggling closer to him. 

“Before my baby was born. All these vampires...they just...around me..” I waved a hand vaguely and Gerard started to rub my thigh slowly. 

“I'm sorry, sweetie. How old were you when you had her..?”

“Fourteen,” I murmured, looking down at the marshmallows floating in my drink. I liked hot chocolate, Gerard had made it for me before, when we were in his office. 

“So three years ago? That's fairly soon after you were sold for the last time..”

I nodded slightly, swallowing hard. “The younger, richer masters have this game..” I hesitated briefly. “It's mostly vampires. But uh...they buy young slaves that they think have like…’spunk’ I think they said, so like...fights back still and still feels like life is worth living...and then they ‘break’ them.”

Gerard blinked, his hand pausing on my thigh before squeezing gently and starting to run up and down again. 

“They do it any way they can. Constant beatings, games where you can't win, they have all these men gang up on you at once and just mob you until you pass out...it's the ones that get through to you emotionally that are…’good’ at it. I wasn't...wasn't easy, to break. I wish I was sometimes, I wish I'd just given in..”

I stopped to sniff, trying to ignore the tears running down my cheeks. “But I didn't. I was young and stupid. And so my master came up with this scheme. He forced me to get pregnant, his kid of course, and then had me repeatedly beaten and degraded and just...he took out everything on me for six months, that's how long shifters carry. And um...he delivered the baby himself, stitched me up, kicked me to the corner of the basement and chained me up, then washed my baby and wrapped her up. She was crying for me, and he just stood there...he taunted me, cause I couldn't reach. I begged him so so hard-”

I let out a soft sob and Gerard rested his forehead against the side of my head, pulling me closer to him as his own breath hitched.  

“I told him I'd do anything if I could keep my baby. My b-baby girl...and he s-slit her throat and d-dumped her there. Just l-left her..”

Gerard set his mug aside quickly and pulled me into his lap, guiding me to sit sideways so I could lean into him comfortably as he wrapped his arms around me, kissing the top of my head repeatedly. I stared at nothing for a while, then opened my mouth. 

“He came back the next day and burned her.”

After that, I completely lost it, shaking and crying. Gerard tried to comfort me, but he was crying as well, his voice shaky and sad as he apologized over and over needlessly. 

 

He gave up some time later, just rocking me in his arms and resting his chin on top of my head. 

“I love you, Frank. You mean everything to me,” he mumbled eventually, stroking my hair as I slowly tailed off into sniffs. 

“I'm s-sorry...f-for crying on you..”

He chuckled softly and hugged me a little tighter. “Don't be silly, Frankie. Come on. That's what I'm here for.”

I rubbed my eyes, slipping off his lap and putting my now cold hot chocolate aside. 

“I just wanna sleep..”

He watched me worriedly and I glanced back at him. 

“Gee?”

Gerard blinked, biting his lip lightly. “Yeah?”

“Will you sleep with me tonight? I'm..lonely..”

“If you like,” he murmured, stroking my hair slowly. “Are you sure?”

I nodded quickly, slipping back down under the sheets and pulling a pillow or two with me. Gerard smiled down at me and stood up, walking to his dresser. He dug out a shirt and slipped it on, then pulled a pair of soft pajama shorts on over his boxers. I watched him turn the light out and curled up as he got into bed behind me carefully, stroking my side briefly. 

“Get some good rest, Frankie. I'm not letting anything happen to you..”

~

“You slept with him?”

“Not like that, no. Just. Cuddling, all night. He wouldn't let go of me..”

“That's sweet and really sad at the same time.”

“I know. I think he's okay, he's just clingy at the moment cause he's in pain and scared. I don't think...I don't think it means he likes me any more or trusts me, I just think I'm kind of...the next best thing.”

“I'm not so sure about that. You protected him big time, Gerard, and he's grateful. He's an intelligent person, he knows what this means, and he's smart enough to realize that you like him a lot.”

I crept into the kitchen, blinking from my new perspective. I looked up at the two brothers and Mikey looked down at me. 

“Did you get a cat, Gerard?”

Gerard did a double take, his eyes widening as he stared at me. “Oh fuck. No, I did not..”

He crouched down, holding his hand out and rubbing his index finger and thumb together. I crept a little closer to him and he grinned. 

“Green eyes. Hey Frankie. That's a neat trick, huh?”

Mikey’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”

I could have giggled as I jumped up onto Gerard's knee and climbed up to sit on his shoulder, flicking my tail as I started to knead his shirt unconsciously. Mikey was staring at me, looking closely as Gerard reached up carefully, gently rubbing behind my ears. “I'm loving this, Frankie, you are amazing, but you're gonna exhaust yourself,” he said softly, turning his head to look into my eyes. I batted him on the nose lightly, my claws away. Gerard laughed and carefully picked me up, setting me back down on my paws. “Come on, Frankie. You’ll be exhausted and you'll want a nap and then you'll wake me in the middle of the night to tell me you can't sleep because you slept for four hours in the day. Please?”

I turned and bounded out of the room, glancing down at my furry black paws once more before letting go in the hallway, cracking my back as I stretched. I wandered back into the kitchen and Gerard enveloped me in a gentle hug. “Congrats, Frankie! We're so proud!”

I giggled softly, leaning my entire weight against him as I started to feel a little droopy. Gerard noticed and picked me up easily, carrying me to the sofa. He set me down gently, stroking my hair as I curled up, leaning against the back cushions. “I'll go get you some breakfast, Frankie, that'll make you feel better..”

I nodded and smiled at him as he walked out, then looked up as Mikey sat down next to me. 

“Hey Frank...how's the reading going?”

I blinked and yawned, resting my chin on my knees. “Good. Gee wants me to try a book but I'm not sure..”

“Why not?”

I shrugged, rubbing my face with both hands. “No pictures. I like the pictures.”

Mikey smiled and stroked my hair slowly, frowning slightly when I flinched away a little. “That's okay. You don't have to read a whole book as long as you can read well enough to get by.”

I nodded and grinned as Gerard carried a plate in, handing it to me. He walked around to lean over me, his keys jingling as he unlocked my collar. “I should have done this yesterday, but I forgot,” he murmured, tossing the thing away and kissing my forehead. “I'll go get some cream, okay? Those rubs have gotten worse..”

I nodded, digging into my breakfast hungrily as Mikey rubbed my shoulder slowly. 

“Frank?” 

I looked up at him blankly. “Mhm?”

“Would you wanna meet my boyfriend?” He asked softly, squeezing my shoulder. “He came down here with me cause I came on short notice..” 

I sniffed and started to tremble a little, just as Gerard walked back in, looking at me worriedly. 

“Mikey, what did you say?” He asked quietly as he hurried to me, kissing my forehead and stroking my cheeks as I struggled to breathe. “Shh, deep breaths. That's it..”

“I feel sick..”

“Shh. It's gonna be okay. You can hold it down, Frankie, I know you can..”

Gerard took the plate away from me carefully, setting it aside and hugging me loosely. 

“I just asked if he wanted to meet Pete,” Mikey mumbled. “I guess that's a no..”

Gerard sighed and lifted me up carefully. “I think you need some rest in bed, Frank..”

I nodded, grabbing at him gently. He smiled down at me, walking me into the bedroom and laying me down on his bed carefully. “Can I see your ribs, hon?”

I winced and lifted my shirt, showing him the now lightening bruising. He sat down on the edge of the bed, gently pressing down on one side. I whimpered, but bit my lip lightly. 

“Doesn't hurt that much..”

“Good,” Gerard hummed, helping me with my shirt. “I'm so glad you're feeling better. How's everything else?”

I shrugged, rubbing my jaw. “I'm just so tired all the time…”

“I think that's because your body is using a lot of energy to heal itself at the moment. Would a nice long bath help? I can put the divider in so I don't have to stay..”

I yawned and nodded slightly, struggling to sit up and holding my arms out to be picked up. “I like it when you stay..”

 

Gerard held my hand as I stepped into the bath and sat down carefully, sinking into the water with a satisfied sigh. He chuckled softly and brushed my hair out of my eyes. 

“I had an idea, Frankie.”

I looked up at him, stifling a yawn. 

“I thought maybe we could turn the spare room into like...your room. We could decorate it the way you like and it could be your space, so if you felt like hiding or just wanted to be alone, you could go to a place that's yours. Would that be nice?”

I blinked and nodded slightly. “I've never had a decorated room before.”

“Good. I guess we can go into town tomorrow and start having a look at stuff. And you need a haircut. I think we’ll be busy tomorrow, huh?”

I smiled and he stroked my cheek slowly, running his hand down my neck and to my shoulder. 

“You're so adorable, Frankie. So sweet..”

I let my eyes slip closed for a second, just enjoying his warm hands on me. 

“Gee?”

I opened my eyes to stare at him curiously. 

“Mm?”

“Have you had boyfriends?”

Gerard chuckled and nodded slightly, offering me his hand, which I took carefully. “Yeah, I have. Not many. And none of them stayed around very long..”

I blinked and changed position slightly. “Why not?”

“Well..” Gerard sighed, lifting my hand up and kissing my fingers. “You can't really talk to Mikey about this, but before I started my job running drugs, I took a lot of them. I was kind of messed up..” 

I watched him curiously, holding his hand tightly. 

“It was a pretty bad time for me, and I had a lot of boyfriends then, but yeah...I don't know. I haven't really dated since then cause I've been busy cleaning myself up, and now running things, and taking care of Mikey. So I don't think I've had a proper relationship..”

“But you've had sex.”

Gerard shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. Where are you going with this, Frank?” He murmured, combing his fingers through my hair slowly. 

I blinked and shrugged. “I thought maybe...you said before you were attracted to me and you saved me...I could pay you back...maybe a blowjob?” I suggested quietly, feeling my cheeks heating up. 

Gerard shook his head quickly. “Nope. No. Thank you is enough, Frankie. I don't need more from you, you don't need to give me anything. Okay?”

I frowned as he caressed my cheek, watching me worriedly. 

“But I want to.”

“You're underage, Frank,” Gerard pointed out softly. “And I'd feel like I was using you.”

I shook my head slowly. “I'm not underage,” I mumbled, looking away quickly. “I'm eighteen, I just...I lied to the people selling me because my master didn't tell them and...once you hit eighteen, you're sold differently.”

I shuddered, pushing the stories I’d heard to the back of my mind. “You can be sold for different things, and none of them are pleasant..”

Gerard rubbed my shoulder gently. “Okay. I uh...I'm not angry with you, Frank. I understand why you'd lie and it's not a big thing. I never told you my age, but I'm twenty-five.”

I smiled slightly and shrugged. “That doesn't really matter to me.”

“Well, you know now anyway. Have you ever had a blowjob?”

I blinked, a little startled by the question. I shook my head quickly. “Uh...no.”

Gerard tucked his hair behind his ears. “Mhm. Well, I’d be more than happy to change that for you if you ever wanted. Just...be sure when you ask me these things and talk to me about them, yeah? Remember what I said about consent?”

I nodded slightly, smiling at him. “Yeah..”

“Good. I'd never do anything to you that you didn't want. I promise..”

I rested my head on the edge of the tub again, staring at the wall for a while. 

Gerard sat with me quietly, occasionally stroking my hair or cheek. 

“Y'know, Mikey's boyfriend is really nice,” he said after a while. “He's kind of like a little puppy.”

I shrugged and he sighed softly. 

“You don't have to see him if you don't want to,” he murmured, tapping my nose gently. “I think you'd like him, though.”

“I'm just too tired. Everything hurts..”

Gerard nodded and kissed my forehead softly. “Okay. What do you wanna do?”

“Go back to bed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a little bit of fluff with some sad stuff  
> I'm getting caught up again just so you know so updates may get a little slower but I'll do my best :)


	8. Chapter 8

**G**

I watched Frank stick pictures to his wall, leaning in the doorway. He was standing on the bed, wobbling dangerously. 

“Be careful, hon.”

He didn't even acknowledge me. 

It had been about ten days since the incident with Andy, and Frank had been having nearly constant nightmares. He seemed happy during the day, reading to himself quietly when I was working, and chatting to me quite happily when I had time to sit with him. 

Mikey had been back and forth, but hadn't really stayed much. Frank seemed to be drifting away from him a little, preferring to stick close to me, and sleeping with me almost every night. 

“Frank?”

He slid off the bed and landed on his feet, glancing over at me. “Yeah?”

“You feeling okay today?”

He blinked. “Yeah..?”

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. “Are you happy here, Frank?”

Frank shrugged. “Where else could I be?”

I groaned quietly and kicked at the carpet. “Frank, I'm worried about you. That you're bored and restless and unhappy. I don't want you to think that you have to stay here forever.”

He stared at me blankly. “Gerard..”

I turned away quickly, walking off down the hall and shoving my hands in my pockets. Everything felt wrong and it made me itchy. 

“Gerard..” Frank's small hands caught my waist and I stopped. 

“Gee..come back..”

He grabbed at my hand, gently pulling me in the direction of his room. I followed obligingly, my head fuzzy with confusion and half-formed desires. 

Frank kicked the door shut behind me and fell to his knees in front of me, unbuckling my belt. 

“Frank, no,” I mumbled weakly, gently pushing his head away from my crotch. He looked up at me with an innocent smile. 

“I want to. Please? Please?”

I quickly knelt down, pulling him into a hug. “Frank, no. It won't make you happy. It'll bring back memories and it'll...I don't know. It's not what you need right now.”

He wriggled out of my grip, glaring at me. “I need you, Gerard..”

“I'm right here,” I smiled sadly, trying to stroke his cheek and jumping when he slapped my hand away. 

“I need you...I  _ really  _ need you..”

“Frank, I can't hurt you like that,” I murmured, running a hand through my hair. “I'm sure you'd regret it..”

“But I love you..” Frank's eyes were soft and hurt. 

“Fuck...Frank, that's not...there's different kinds of love and-”

He slipped his shirt off and tossed it aside, staring at me intently. “I know how I feel. You've protected me and taken care of me and I just want you..”

I let my gaze fall to his chest and gulped. He'd healed his broken ribs days ago and had begun to put weight back on incredibly quickly, so much so that he was already close to a healthy size. 

He kicked his sweatpants away, staring at me as he shivered. 

“Frank, honey. Please, think about this. I don't think this is what you want..”

Frank looked at me blankly for a few minutes, then sniffed and started to shake, closing his eyes tightly. “Gerard, every time I try to sleep, every time I close my eyes, I see them. My masters, Andy, all the people who've touched me and attacked me and hurt me. I think about the times I actually came because of what they did and I still  _ hate  _ myself for it. I was lying to myself, I told myself it was okay and that it was normal, but I-”

He cut himself off, opening his eyes and letting the tears run down his cheeks slowly. “I can't do this anymore. Something has to change.”

I sighed, rubbing my eyes and taking a deep breath. “No..Frankie I care about you and I'm really sorry, but I'm saying no.” 

Frank's face crumpled like paper and he fell to his knees, sobbing quietly. I scrambled to him, pulling him into my lap and rocking him desperately. “Shh, Frankie, it's okay. Don't cry, please don't cry...I'm a terrible person, Frankie. You w-wouldn't want me anyway..”

“Y-you're not..” He sniffed, rubbing his eyes as he tried to hold back the tears. His fingers shook where he was hanging onto my shirt. 

“I am, Frankie,” I sighed, burying my face in his soft, coconut-scented black hair. “I kill people and I hurt people and I sell people drugs and I was too fucking stupid to help you, I put you in danger..” 

Frank curled up tighter, grabbing at me shakily as he let out a couple more heartbreaking sobs. 

“B-but you s-saved me!”

“Frankie, I did what any normal person would have done.”

“N-no...normal people did that to me. N-normal people beat me and raped me. You're special..”

“I'm still a drug dealer,” I argued quietly, rubbing his back slowly. 

“But you said it's only because of Mikey. And then you're gonna leave..”

“I don't know if it's gonna be that simple, Frank,” I sighed softly, kissing the side of his head.

“You're a  _ good  _ person, Gerard,” he mumbled determinedly. 

“Fine. If you say so.” 

~

Frank snuggled up to me and I ran my fingers through his hair slowly. “Mm. You want some candy, Frankie?”

He looked up at me with wide eyes and I chuckled. “Go look in the drawer across from the dishwasher and pick one thing, then grab one thing for me, okay?”

Frank nodded and scrambled up, nearly tripping over himself as he ran for the candy. I chuckled and leaned back, fixing the blankets and cushions around me. 

Frank sprinted back, throwing himself down next to me and curling up against my side. He dumped a packet of chocolates in my lap, ripping open his own gummy bears. I groaned softly, poking at the chocolate. “Dang.”

Frank froze and stared at me, his eyes wide again, but for a different reason this time. “Did I get the wrong thing?”

I kissed his forehead quickly and shook my head. “No, baby, it's okay. You didn't know, I'm not in the mood for chocolate. I'll just have a few of your gummy bears, yeah? We can share..”

I put the chocolate aside and Frank smiled at me nervously, putting the gummy bears in my lap and snuggling even closer to me. I stroked his side slowly and kissed his cheek, brushing a hand over his chest and stomach. 

He purred softly and nuzzled my side, then yawned and curled up even tighter. I kissed the top of his head, just holding him close as he watched the movie happily. 

~

Frank was still asleep beside me when I woke up the next morning. His soft black hair was messy, tousled all over his forehead, but his expression was peaceful and blank. I kissed his cheek and sat up, running a hand through my hair slowly. 

He looked so small lying next to me, his little hands relaxed, his fingers curled slightly. He was so small and delicate, like a perfectly crafted china doll, and I hardly dared move for fear of breaking him. 

He moved slightly and let out a quiet happy noise, nuzzling the pillow the way he always did when he started to wake up. He rolled over onto his back and slipped back into a deep sleep, relaxing. I smiled to myself and started to pull the sheets back over his chest so he didn't get cold, but hesitated. 

I could still see some of his ribs as he breathed, and it wasn't a nice sight. Most of them had been broken more than once, and none of them looked normal. One of them jutted out uncomfortably, looking like it could almost break through his skin. I kissed it without thinking, wishing I could make it better. But to do so, I’d have to put him through surgery to get them rebroken and reset. I wondered if it was worth it, running my eyes over the rest of him. His arms were a little awkward as well, although it was less noticeable than his ribs. His left wrist clicked constantly when he moved it, and one of his fingers on his right hand didn't bend very well. 

Frank groaned in his sleep and his mantle seemed to glow green for a second or two. I ran my fingertips over the scars, vaguely fascinated. He'd told me it wasn't painful, and that they extended without him really noticing. They seemed to be almost eating up the other scars, as the mantle had definitely stretched down since he'd first arrived and some of the scars on his upper stomach were starting to fade. 

I put my hand on his side, feeling his chest rise and fall and the uneven, almost jagged surface of his ribcage brushing against my palm. I sighed and looked down at him, a wave of emotion suddenly pouring in over me. I scooped him up quickly, lifting him against my chest and holding him tightly as he grunted in surprise and sleepiness, then buried his face in my neck. 

“Fuck..” I choked, hugging him as tightly as I could. “I’m so sorry..”

Frank lazily pushed me away, yawning as he rubbed his eyes. “What's going on?”

I sniffed and the sudden overwhelming sadness seemed to ebb away. “I just...I feel bad for you, Frankie,” I mumbled, slightly embarrassed. “I wish none of it ever happened to you.”

Frank crawled into my lap, still sleepy as he wrapped his arms around my neck and leant his whole weight against me. “Mm. Thank you.” 

“For what?”

“Caring..” He nuzzled my jaw and kissed it softly before closing his bright green eyes and curling up. He seemed to fall asleep immediately, his tiny body slumping against mine as his breathing evened out and slowed down. I smiled to myself and just hugged him, letting him sleep on me. 

After a while, my legs started to go to sleep, so I lifted Frank off carefully and laid him back in bed, getting up to go make breakfast. 

~

Frank yawned as he ate, his eyes closing up every now and then. It was probably the cutest thing I’d ever seen. 

“Frank. Baby, you tired?”

He groaned softly and nodded slightly. “M’tired.”

“Why are you so tired?” I chuckled, tucking my hair behind my ears. 

“Didn't go to bed on time.”

“Frank, we were half an hour late to bed..”

“Mhm.”

He took another bite of his pancakes and I gave up, watching him fondly. “You can sleep some more after breakfast if you want. I gotta go to work..”

I pulled a face and Frank blinked at me. “You should stop going.”

I stared at him. “Frank, I can't-”

“I saw how much money you made off that deal the other day. Surely you have enough for Mikey..”

I sighed and rubbed my forehead. I did have enough. I'd paid off the debts, I'd saved Mikey a huge college fund and my mom plenty of retirement, and even set aside plenty for myself. 

But it didn't feel like enough. I panicked every time I checked my bank accounts, because I was scared something else would happen. I was trying to be prepared for everything. 

“Frank, I-”

He narrowed his eyes. “That's a yes. So if you hate your job and you wanna leave, why are you still doing it?”

“Because...I don't know, Frank. I'm scared it's not enough..” 

Frank set his fork down, wrinkling his nose. “How much do you have?”

“A couple million,” I answered softly, looking down at the table. 

“Gerard, even I know that's a lot of money. Come on, that's plenty. Quit already. You're gonna get a new job anyway..” 

I ran a hand through my hair, staring at the man sitting across from me, his green eyes gentle and worried. “Okay. Okay, fine. I'll think about it, Frankie. Give me some time.”

He smiled and nodded slightly, going back to his pancakes eagerly. 

~~~

I set the last box down in Frank's room, smiling at him tiredly. “You okay?”

He grinned and nodded, hurrying over to me and leaning against my chest. “I'm hungry.”

“Mm,” I hummed quietly. “Me too. Get that box unpacked and I'll order some pizza. Mikey should be here fairly soon.”

“Housewarming,” Frank giggled and I kissed his forehead. 

“You've had too much sugar today, sweetie.”

“If you say so.”

“I just did..” I walked out of the room, smiling to myself slightly. It was a nice new house, more out in a rural area. There was a large pond with a small dock out back, and I'd bought Frank and I a tiny little boat to go out and play on the water occasionally. A huge tree stood nearby, with a rope swing on it that Frank had already had a go on. 

On the property were a few more trees, not exactly a wood, but close enough, and a large pasture out back. I'd promised Frank we could get some kind of animal to put out there, but I had no idea what yet. 

I glanced out of the window as I walked into the kitchen, smiling to myself. The movers had helped us unpack everything, and it felt great to be getting settled. Frank had  _ hated  _ the upheaval of packing everything and moving. He wasn't one for change, but he seemed to be happier now. 

I ran a hand through my hair and picked up the phone, checking the menu the estate agent had left us. I called and ordered, then wandered back upstairs. Frank was curled up on his bed, fast asleep, the last box half unpacked in the middle of the floor. I sighed and carefully pulled the folded up clothes out of the box, humming to myself as I tucked them in his drawers. I had just picked up the last shirt when I noticed something strange. It was heavier than it should be. I unfolded it and stared at the thing laying on it. “Fuck me.”

I suddenly felt eyes on me and looked up into Frank's horrified expression. 

Laid out on his t shirt was a beautifully made gold necklace, more like an Egyptian-style collar than just a simple chain. Set into it were small stones, what I assumed to be emeralds or some kind of fakes. 

“P-please d-don't t-touch it..”

I folded the shirt back over it and lifted it up carefully, placing it in his drawer before walking over and sitting down on the edge of the bed. I wrapped an arm around his shoulders as he leaned into me, trembling slightly. 

“It's okay, Frankie. It's okay. Shh..” I soothed, stroking his hair and back. “Shh. Calm down, Frankie. I'm not gonna take it from you, yeah? It's okay..” I slipped one of my hands into his, squeezing his shaking fingers. “Is it yours?”

He nodded slightly, looking away from me as he sniffed. 

I kissed his cheek and gently pulled him into my lap, hugging him tightly. “I have no idea what's going on or why you're so upset, sweetie. Can you try and calm down for me?”

Frank nodded again, grabbing onto my shirt as I rocked him slowly, patiently waiting for the shaking to stop. 

“It's my m-mum’s..”

I kissed the top of his head softly, stroking his cheek slowly. 

“It's been passed down in my family for ages. We lived in Canada, and kind of like...in a really remote part...my whole family came from there. We still like...lived in a clan. It was perfect..” Frank smiled, tears welling up in his eyes. 

I leaned over and grabbed him a tissue, handing it to him carefully. 

“The women in my family passed it down to their daughters each generation for their union days...like...weddings,” he translated quietly. “But my mama never had a daughter. She just had me. And then the men came to our place, and they brought vampires and werewolves and they started burning our huts and they dragged my mama outside...the necklace got stuck, on the door, and it ripped off...and so I picked it up. And I hid it. When the men came and got me, I couldn't find my mama. I couldn't see her anywhere. So I took it..”

I buried my face in his hair, taking a deep breath before getting up slowly. I walked over to the drawer and pulled the necklace out, smiling sadly as I went back to Frank, leaning over him as I carefully fastened the beautiful thing around his neck. 

“There. Much better,” I mumbled, rubbing my eyes as they started to tear up. Frank was already crying shamelessly, smiling at me as the tears dripped off his chin. “You look handsome, Frankie.”

He gulped and looked up at me, more tears streaming down his cheeks. “I can't remember my name..”

I frowned and sat down next to him, stroking his hair slowly as I rubbed his shoulder. “What do you mean? It's Frank..”

“N-no. That's not what my mama named me. But I c-can't remember and I can't remember my mama’s name, and-”

I cut him off before he could wind himself up into sobbing. “Shh. None of that is your fault,” I murmured, kissing his cheek. “None of it. It was a long time ago. Your mama would just be happy that you remember her and you miss her and cherish her memory. Your mama would be so happy to see you getting better and getting more confident...you're one of the best, kindest, most forgiving, and gentlest people I've ever met, Frank. She'd be so proud.”

Frank smiled sadly and I stroked his cheek, kissing his temple. “Come on. How about we get you in the bath? We can talk more..”

He nodded and carefully unfastened the collar, sniffing as he laid it on his hand, staring at it. 

“It's the stars,” he mumbled after a few seconds, jabbing a shaky finger at the emeralds. “From our home. My mama loved the stars.”

I nuzzled his cheek, my other hand coming up and spreading over the other side of his face as I held him close. “I love you, Frankie. So damn much..” 

~

I washed off his pale skin, watching him as he poked at the bubbles unenthusiastically. I started to rub his back slowly, working out the tension in his shoulders before going down his spine. 

Frank closed his eyes, rolling his head back slightly. I hummed to him softly, my phone buzzing suddenly. I dried off my hands and answered the call from Mikey quickly. 

“Hey, hon.”

“Hi,” Mikey mumbled, sounding harassed and tired. “Are you alone?”

“Uh. Frank's in the bath, I'm sitting next to the tub.”

“Oh...so yeah, pretty much..”

I chuckled softly and kissed Frank’s cheek. “Frank isn't nobody.”

“No, but he's not judgemental or likely to tell a whole bunch of people anything I say to you.”

“Mm. Probably true.”

Frank splashed the water a little and I opened a cabinet, getting out a set of child's bathroom paints I'd bought him as a surprise. He blinked, taking the packet and reading it carefully. 

“Just on the tiles, honey,” I murmured, and he nodded, opening the box eagerly. “So what's going on?” I prompted the now quiet Mikey. 

“Pete is really sick, I think he's got the flu or something, but uh...we also had a big fight and I don't know if I'm up to coming over tonight.”

“Hey, that's fine,” I said gently. “No big deal. Maybe tomorrow? I mean, if you wanted to come, you could spend the night and we could just chill?”

“Yeah, I think I'm just gonna go to bed, Gee. I don't wanna be dealing with calls from Pete and stuff around Frank.”

I sighed quietly and brushed my knuckles down the back of Frank's shoulder. “Mm. He's okay right now, I think. He's becoming the next Picasso right now.”

Mikey chuckled softly. “What’d you give him?”

“Bath paints like Mom used to give us. He's going nuts.”

Frank rolled his eyes at me and dabbed some blue on my nose. 

“No but seriously, it's pretty good,” I grinned, ruffling his hair. “I'll send you a pic when he's done. Call me if you need anything, yeah? I'm here all night, Frank and I were gonna stay up and watch some movies..”

I wiped my nose off, squeezing Frank's shoulder and peering around him at the picture he was drawing on the wall. 

“Sounds good. I'm okay, just..” Mikey sighed loudly. “I'm just super tired. I'll talk to you later, Gee. Love ya.”

“Mhm. Love you too..”

I hung up and set my phone aside, leaning over to kiss Frank's cheek. “What’re you painting, baby?”

“You..”

His face was getting a little flushed, and he was avoiding looking at me. I leaned back to look properly and hummed softly. “I love it, Frankie. You're talented, honey,” I murmured, running my hand up and down his back slowly. “I like the colors.”

“They're not exactly realistic,” Frank giggled shyly. “I don't have much choice.”

“Mm, sorry, but they're not supposed to be high quality,” I chuckled as I stood up. “I think I heard the door, I'm gonna go see if it's the food, okay?”

Frank grinned and nodded. “Mhm. M’hungry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a little short but the next one will make up for it :)


	9. Chapter 9

**F**

Gerard was shaking in his sleep, his back to me as he whimpered. 

“F-Frank..”

I started to stroke his back, running my hands up and down. “Shh, Gee..”

“No...n-no. Don't t-touch him..”

I climbed over him, shaking his shoulder. “Gee...Gerard! C’mon..” 

He groaned as he opened his eyes, gently pushing me off him. “Fuuuck..”

I curled up, watching him worriedly as he rolled over to face me. I stared at him as he rubbed his eyes, then looked at me sadly. “Sorry, Frankie. Did I wake you again?”

I nodded slightly and he reached out, stroking my cheek slowly. “Mm. It's okay. What was it?”

Gerard sighed and kissed my forehead. “I don't wanna scare you, love.”

I rolled my eyes and shuffled away from him slightly. “You always say that.”

Gerard groaned again and rubbed the side of his face. “Frankie, I keep dreaming about the people who work for me getting angry and coming after me, okay? And then hurting you or Mikey or Mom. I don't think it really will happen, but I'm scared about it anyway.”

I bit my lip and cuddles closer to his chest, rubbing his side slowly. “Okay. Go back to sleep. Don't be scared, Gee. It'll be fine.”

Gerard sighed and buried his face in my neck, wrapping his arms around me tightly. “If you say so. Don't worry about anything anyway, baby. I'm gonna protect you.” 

I grunted and nuzzled his warm chest, still half asleep. “Mm. G’night..” 

~

Gerard was up before me, the bed cold. I yawned and rolled over, falling onto the floor with a soft yelp. I groaned and lifted myself up onto my hands and knees, managing to stand up by grabbing onto the bed. I stretched shakily, yawning again as I stumbled into the bathroom. 

I wandered downstairs, bumping into Gerard's chest in the hallway and just falling against it. He chuckled and lifted me up, kissing my forehead before placing me back on my feet. 

“Good morning. Breakfast is on the table, I gotta get going soon..”

“Going where?”

He crouched down slightly. “Hon. I'm going to university today, remember? I'm starting my course.”

I frowned deeply, still feeling a little out of it. “No...but..”

“Frankie, you're gonna be fine. I made you a lunch and some snacks, it's all in the fridge. All labeled for you. Mikey and Pete are coming over at two, okay? You're gonna be just fine. Pete is really nice and you trust Mikey. You have my number, hon. I'll call in between classes and you know how to use the tv. You can rent a movie if you like, but just one, okay?”

I nodded shakily as he cupped my jaw in his hands, smiling at me. “You're a big boy, Frankie. You’ll be okay.”

“But...s’all day..”

“I know. But we’ll get used to it. I'll bring you a present, sweetie. I will, and Mikey's bringing you something as well.”

He straightened up and hugged me tightly. “I'm gonna get ready, little one. I'll be back in a minute.”

~

Gerard kissed my cheek, stepped out the door, and shut it behind him. I stared at the wood for a while, my fingers trembling at my sides. I was all alone.  _ All day.  _

~

I heard a key in the lock and abandoned my tv programme, running down the hall to the bathroom and slamming the door behind me. I climbed into the tub and pulled my knees up to my chest before throwing my arms over my head, shaking slightly. 

Mikey was here, and I'd heard Pete's unfamiliar voice outside. I whimpered as I heard footsteps, the blind panic still in control. I  _ needed  _ Gerard. I needed him. I climbed out of the tub slowly and unlocked the bathroom door as quietly as possible, peering out. I couldn't see anyone, so I darted across the hall into Gerard's room, grabbing one of his shirts and diving under the bed. I curled up, burying my face in the fabric and taking deep breaths, the smell of his cologne starting to calm me down. 

“Frank? Frank, where are you?” Mikey called out, sounding worried as his voice got closer. He walked past Gerard's room and slipped into mine, calling out again more softly. 

“Mikey?”

I heard more footsteps in the hall. 

“Yeah?”

“He's in Gerard’s room,” Pete said quietly. “I can smell him..”

My eyes widened and I curled up even tighter, clutching onto Gerard's shirt. 

“Okay,” Mikey murmured, and the footsteps moved away slowly. “I'm gonna call Gerard. I don't really wanna go in there and scare him. He's hiding because he's frightened, and I can't make it worse..”

There was a short silence. 

“Gee. Thank God, I'm sorry to disturb you, but Frank is hiding...yeah..in your room. I haven't gone in cause I don't wanna make it worse. Mhm. Okay. Okay, yeah. That might work.”

There were quiet footsteps again and the door opened with a creak. 

“Hey,” Mikey hummed. “Frank? Where are you?”

I saw his feet moving around as he checked the other side of the bed and the ensuite. 

“He's under the bed,” Pete muttered from the doorway. Mikey sighed. 

“Pete, go wait in the living room, please..”

“Fine.”

Pete retreated and I tensed. Mikey crouched down in front of me, not looking under the bed. Instead, he set his phone down, pressing a button on it. 

“On speaker..” He said quietly. 

“Frankie,” Gerard's soft voice murmured. “You okay?”

I curled up a little tighter, sniffling as I nuzzled his shirt again. Mikey gave the phone a nudge, sending it half under the bed before getting up and walking out of the room quietly. 

“Frankie? You there?”

“Y-yeah..”

Gerard let out a sigh of relief. “Good, I was worried for a second there. What's going on? Why are you hiding from Mikey?”

“M’not..”

He hesitated. “So why are you hiding from Pete?”

“He's scary.”

“He's really not, Frankie. He's like two inches taller than you and he's like a little puppy. He's really sweet. And Mikey is there, Mikey loves you. You know that..”

I just sniffed and Gerard sighed again. “I love you, Frankie. Come on. You can be brave for me, yeah? If you want, I'll stay on the line while you meet Pete, okay? Just in case. Where are you?”

“U-under the bed..”

He chuckled quietly and I managed a tiny smile. “It's a little cramped down there, huh? And dusty. Why don't you at least come out from there, it's not really good for you..”

I paused, burying my face in the shirt again briefly before grabbing the phone and crawling out, jumping when I saw Mikey standing in the doorway. The phone slipped from my fingers and landed on the floor with a thud. 

“What was that?” Gerard asked quickly. I sniffed, frozen in Mikey’s gaze. He didn't look angry, more disappointed. 

“Frank dropped the phone,” he answered Gerard. “It's okay, Frank..”

He crouched down slowly, smiling at me. “It's alright. It's just me..”

I stared at him as a tear ran down my cheek. 

“Gerard, he's crying...I can't..I can't do this,” Mikey groaned, covering his face with his hands. 

“Frank, it's okay,” Gerard said gently. “I'm here. I'm with you, honey. Don't cry, it's okay. Mikey, why don't you shut the door to the room? Put some distance between him and Pete. He's not scared of you..”

I shuffled back as Mikey stepped into the room, shutting the door with a click. He opened his arms to me, smiling sadly. “C’mere, Frankie. Don't you want a hug?”

I stared at him warily, still shivering. Mikey bit his lip lightly. 

“What’ve you got there, Frankie? Hmm?”

I gripped the shirt tighter, and Mikey squinted, then chuckled. “Gerard, he's holding one of your t shirts. I really don't think he wants to let go.”

“Aw..” Gerard hummed softly to me. “I love you, Frankie. It's okay. Mikey, don't laugh at him..”

Mikey ran a hand through his hair, smiling at me again. “Sorry, Frank. I guess I'm nervous. Why don't you come give me a hug? Hmm? You don't have to talk to Pete until Gerard gets here if you really don't want to. There's no obligation.”

I nodded slightly, shuffling to Mikey and letting him wrap his arms around me. He chuckled and kissed the side of my head softly. “Do you trust me, Frank? Do you believe that I'll make decisions based on your best interests?” 

I nodded slightly, and he stroked my hair slowly. 

“Good. Because I will. I would also never put you in harm’s way, and if I thought Pete would ever do anything to hurt you, I would not let him near you.” 

“Neither would I,” Gerard chimed in quietly. 

Mikey pulled away enough to look at my face, smiling brightly. “We love you, Frankie, and we'd never hurt you. We love you way too much for that. How about we let Gerard go back to class, huh? We’ll be okay..”

I nodded, burying my face in his neck as he leaned over to grab the phone. 

“Thanks so much, Gerard, you're the best.”

“It's okay,” he murmured softly. “I'm here if you need me, yeah? I love you, Frankie. You're gonna be okay and I'll be home in a couple hours. I'm gonna bring you presents and a huge hug.”

I smiled against Mikey's skin and he hummed. 

“I think he likes that idea. I'll see you soon, Gee. Bye.”

He hung up and handed me the phone as I pulled away. “Here. Just in case.” 

Mikey stood up, gently taking my hand. “You ready? Hmm?”

I nodded, biting my lip lightly. “O-okay.”

“I've told him you're a little scared, okay? He knows to be nice and gentle. He's really excited to meet you, though.”

I clung to Mikey's hand tightly as he led me down the halls, my heart pounding faster and faster as we got closer to the living room. 

Pete looked up from the armchair as I crept into the room, half behind Mikey. He grinned at me, standing up slowly. “Hey...Mikey told me you were cute, but that was a huge understatement. It's really nice to meet you, Frank..”

I smiled at him shakily, remembering my manners and ducking my head quickly. Mikey started to rub my shoulder gently. “It's okay, Frankie. We're all equals here, yeah?”

He guided me to sit on the couch with him, wrapping an arm around my shoulders as Pete sat down again, moving fairly slowly still.

“So what do you like to do in your spare time, Frankie?”

“Oh shit,” Mikey muttered. “Pete, could you grab the bag we brought?”

Pete’s eyes widened and he grinned. “Sure!”

He hurried off and Mikey kissed my temple softly. “We brought you presents.”

I blushed a little and nodded slightly. “Thank you..”

Pete jogged back in and offered me the bag. I shrank away quickly and Mikey took it, flashing him a brief smile. “Thanks Pete.”

He passed the bag to me and I peered inside, my eyes widening. I pulled out the book and flicked through it. 

“Mikey, the pages are blank..”

Pete giggled and Mikey smiled at me. “It's a sketchbook, Frank, it's for drawing in. There's colored and regular pencils in there as well. Gerard’ll give you a hand if you need help working it all out, but he says you're a natural artist.”

I felt the color rise in my cheeks again and looked up at Mikey. “Th-thank you..”

“Of course, Frankie. No problem..”

~

I dropped the shirt as soon as I heard Gerard unlocking the door, bolting down the hall and slamming into him as he stepped inside. He grunted and laughed, scooping me up easily. “Cutie pie. Did you miss me?” 

I giggled and nodded quickly, nuzzling his neck as he hugged me tightly. 

“Aw, I missed you too, honey. You're so sweet, but I can't carry you for long..”

I giggled again and concentrated, shifting down smaller as I clung to him. Gerard chuckled and kissed my cheek. “Mm. That's one way of doing it.”

He kicked his shoes off and dumped his backpack, wrapping an arm around me as he carried me into the kitchen. “Are you gonna stay here the whole time I cook dinner?”

I nodded slightly and he purred. “As much as I'd love that, I'm gonna end up hurting you. Come on. Down you go..”

I slid down, letting the shift go as my toes touched the ground. Gerard gently took my hand, walking me back to the living room. “Come on. Come sit with Mikey..”

I nodded, climbing onto the sofa and curling up against Mikey's side. Pete was curled up in a tiny ball in the armchair, snoring softly. 

I closed my eyes, letting myself drift off with my head on Mikey's shoulder. 

~

Gerard gently woke me up, kissing my forehead softly. “Frankie. Come on, hon. Dinner time.”

I slid off the sofa sleepily, stumbling against him as he wrapped an arm around me. “That's it. You're so tired today, Frankie…must be all that stress..”

I nodded slightly and he led me to the table, sitting me in the chair next to him and across from Mikey. I looked down at my plate and my eyes widened. “Mm. Gee..”

Salmon with mashed potatoes, lemon herb sauce, and broccoli. It was my absolute favorite meal - so far, as Gerard was still introducing me to new foods almost every day. He smiled at me and kissed the side of my head. 

“Enjoy, honey.”

I dug in quickly, eating frantically. Gerard rubbed my back slowly and I remembered not to eat too fast, blushing a little as I realized Pete was watching me. 

“So how have you been, Pete? It's been a while,” Gerard said quietly. 

“I've been good,” he smiled, nodding a little. “Been working for my dad all summer, which isn't really ideal, but it's all good experience, I guess.”

“No, yeah. That's pretty cool,” Gerard hummed, glancing at me as I took a careful, delicate bite. “You're lucky to have a dad who’ll employ you, really.”

I tuned out slowly, flaking my fish with my fork, mesmerized by the pink color. 

“Have you been feeling better lately, Frank?”

I looked up at Mikey, blinking at him tiredly. “Mhm.”

“Gerard said you've been having less nightmares lately.”

I nodded, smiling at him slightly. I wasn't good at dinner conversation. “Yeah.”

“That's good.”

I nodded again, blushing a little now. “I'm sorry I'm not good at conver-”

“It's okay,” Mikey soothed quickly. “Neither am I, really. It's nice to see you getting on with Pete, though.”

I glanced down the table. Pete was talking to Gerard about something animatedly, gesticulating wildly and grinning. 

I smiled to myself and nodded, still feeling sleepy. “Yeah. He's nice.” 

~

Gerard climbed into bed with me, stroking my hair out of my eyes. “I brought you something from storage today,” he said quietly, handing me a squishy thing wrapped in tissue paper. “It's a little old, but it smells like me..”

I unwrapped it carefully, smiling at the black cat stuffed toy. I hugged it, burying my face in the fur and taking a deep breath. “Mm.”

He chuckled and kissed my forehead. “Adorable. Much better than carrying an old t shirt around.”

I nodded, putting the cat on my bedside table before snuggling up to Gerard, nuzzling his chest. “Mm. Love you..”

He ran his fingers through my hair slowly and I lifted my head to look up at him, studying his hazel eyes and his tousled, messy black hair. I shifted my gaze down to his lips and leaned in quickly, pressing my lips to his softly, my hand slipping up to his jaw just as he pushed me away gently. “Frank, I-”

There was a quiet knock at the door and Gerard closed his eyes for a couple seconds. “Come in.” 

Mikey slipped in, blinking when he saw me. “Oh, I uh...I'm sorry, I..”

“It's okay. Frank doesn't mind, do you hon?”

I shook my head, yawning and burying my face in Gerard's chest. Mikey sighed and I felt the bed dip as he sat down. 

“Um. I have something to tell you, Gee.”

Gerard started to stroke up and down my back, nodding. “You can tell me anything, Mikes.”

“I um. I think I'm asexual, Gerard..” 

I felt the older Way’s body tense and he gently pushed me away as he sat up. “Okay...can you tell me a little more?” 

Mikey looked a little shaky, his eyes wet. “It's uh. Why I had a fight with Pete. We've like...given each other head before, but not..” Mikey was turning bright red, looking away. “He was getting really horny and he like...begged me for sex and I just didn't want to. I didn't really enjoy any of the stuff we'd done before other than kissing and the idea of sex...it just. No..”

Gerard pulled his younger brother into a tight hug. “Mikey, I love you and I'll love and support you no matter what. But you should get to bed, you've got school tomorrow and you look exhausted. We can talk more tomorrow if you like.”

He nodded slightly and pulled away, rubbing my leg briefly and smiling at me. “Sorry Frankie. Get some good sleep..”

I nodded and we watched him go quietly. As soon as the door clicked shut, Gerard slid back down, laying his head on the pillow. 

I leaned over and kissed him again and he kissed back this time, his fingers sliding into my hair as he pulled me closer and deeper into the kiss. I rested one hand on his jaw, squeaking softly and giggling as he rolled me over, leaning over me as he kissed me harder. I slipped my arms around him, purring as Gerard gently tugged on my hair, his hips dipping down and rolling against mine lightly. 

Gerard gasped and suddenly pulled away, sitting up shakily. “Fuck...I'm sorry, Frankie. I'm so so sorry..”

I giggled again and climbed into his lap, curling up happily. “Don't be. I liked it, Gee. It was nice..”

“R-really?’

I smiled up at him and nodded. “Mhm. I like you, Gee. I wanna kiss you lots.”

He blinked and sighed. “Frank, I'm not sure if that's the best idea. I mean-”

“I  _ like  _ you, Gee. You mean everything to me. I wanna give everything to you.”

Gerard hugged me tightly, rubbing my shoulder. “Honey, there's other ways of giving me things. You don't have to feel like you need to give me sexual things-”

“I don't feel like I need to. I  _ want  _ to.”

“But-”

“Gerard, I trust you. I find you attractive. I think you're sweet and funny and kind and I wanna feel what it feels like to give myself up to someone who cares for me. I know I probably should, but I don't hate sex. It's not inherently bad or painful….I wanna try it with you.”

He sighed, letting go of me and burying his face in his hands. “Frank, I...I’d feel like I was taking advantage of you. I like you too. I find you attractive and all those other things you said about me, and I'd love to have sex with you because you're so...special to me. But...but you're young and you're damaged and I'd feel like I was hurting you..”

“You won't hurt me,” I smiled, cupping his jaw in my hands and kissing his forehead. “We can take it slow. Kiss me, Gee..”

Great sighed and wrapped his arms around me protectively, leaning in to kiss me ever so softly, his hands running up and down my sides. “Mm,” he mumbled as he broke away. “You're amazing Frankie. I could keep this up all night, but you need your rest. Come on. Let's lay down..” 

I curled up, smiling at Gerard as he reached over and flicked the lights off, then laid down next to me. “Cuddle?”

I nodded immediately, shuffling closer to him and burying my face in his chest comfortably. He smelled amazing, like vanilla and cologne and a tiny bit like cigarettes. “Get some sleep, little one..”

I yawned and snuggled closer again, already feeling myself drift off as Gerard stroked my hair slowly. 

~

I was awake before Gerard, so I slipped out of bed and padded into the kitchen, still wearing only my pajama bottoms. I yawned sleepily, opening the fridge and reaching inside to pull out a yogurt pot. I heard footsteps behind me and hummed. “We need more milk, Gee.”

“Uh..”

I whipped around, my eyes widening as I saw Pete. I nearly dropped my yogurt, staring at him wildly. I had completely forgotten anyone else was here. 

He was staring, his eyes running over my chest and stomach, taking in the scars and faint bruises. “Holy-”

I grabbed a spoon from the drawer and bolted, trying to shove past him, but he grabbed me gently. I screamed, jerking myself away and running back into the kitchen, panting as I tried to hide in the corner, curling up as small as I could. I glared at him, shaking as I watched him rub his eyes. The fear was still gripping me, forcing me to look at him, and making my heart beat faster and my lungs take quick, shallow breaths. 

I could hear noises down the hall, praying that it was Gerard coming to rescue me. Pete shuffled closer to me, crouching down. 

“I'm not gonna hurt you,” he soothed, slowly creeping towards me and picking up the yogurt cup from where I'd dropped it a few feet away. “Here..” He offered it to me and I just glared at him, my hands shaking. 

“Frank?”

Gerard was in the doorway suddenly, watching me sleepily. “Frank, honey, it's four in the morning, what's going on?”

“It's my fault, Gerard, I'm sorry,” Pete sighed, backing away from me slowly. “I scared him and he tried to run past me and I grabbed him..”

Gerard sighed and looked at me sadly. I felt sick immediately, my toes curling. He looked so disappointed, in  _ me.  _

I looked away sharply, feeling the tears well up. Gerard walked over to me and crouched down about a foot away. “Frank. Look at me.”

I glared at him shakily, one tear escaping and running down my cheek. He reached out and wiped it away gently. “Pete won't hurt you..”

“I think he's more upset that I saw his scars,” Pete mumbled, still crouching down several feet away from me.

Gerard nodded slightly. “Mm. Probably.” He slipped his shirt off and handed it to me, watching as I tugged it on quickly. He rubbed my knee gently, glancing at Pete. “Why'd you grab him?”

He shrugged. “I don't know, really. It was kind of a reflex. I wanted him to stay and talk to me, I guess. I know it was a bad idea..”

Gerard smiled and shrugged. “That's okay. We all make mistakes..”

Pete nodded, looking at me. “Frank, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you, I really didn't.”

I nodded slightly and Gerard patted my shoulder. “Go give him a hug, Frankie. He's good at hugs.”

I shivered, but did as I was told, letting Pete wrap me up in his arms. After a couple seconds, I relaxed slightly and buried my face in his shoulder, sniffling. He stroked my hair slowly, rocking me a little. “It's okay, Frank. Don't cry..”

Gerard sighed, standing up. “We should get back to bed. Come on, Frankie.”

I pulled away quickly, grabbing onto Gerard's hand and clinging to him shakily as he led me back to the bedroom. 

I climbed into bed first, curling up and hiding my face behind my hands. 

Gerard laid down behind me, rubbing my side slowly. “Oh Frankie. It's okay..”

“It's n-not,” I whimpered tearfully, curling up tighter. 

“Why not?”

“B-because you're d-disappointed in m-me.”

Gerard sighed and wrapped an arm around me, gently pulling me so my back was against his chest. “I'm not, Frankie. I'm just...it makes me sad to see you like that because it reminds me how bad things were for you. Some days it's like nothing ever happened and you're just Frank and we talk and hang out and things are...normal, I guess. And then something like that happens and it reminds me of all the shit you've been through...I know you can't control it, and that's okay. You'll probably always be this way, and I accept that. But it still hurts.”

I rolled over quickly, snuggling up to him and wrapping my thin arms around him. He purred, rubbing my back slowly. “Go back to sleep, honey. It's all okay..” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry there isn't much Pete in this chapter, I'm planning on putting more of him in later. I hope you enjoyed it, and there's a big event coming up tomorrow! :)  
> I also added some new tags because the smut in this story will be a little more intense than my usual


	10. Chapter 10

**F**

Gerard kissed me as soon as he stepped through the door, lifting me up gently and throwing me over his shoulder. I squealed and giggled, hitting his back lightly as he carried me into the kitchen and sat me down on the counter to kiss me again, his fingers sliding into my hair. “Beautiful. My beautiful Frankie.”

I grinned as he pulled away, and I could already feel my cheeks heating up. “Gee..”

He chuckled and pecked my lips quickly. “Mm. Hug?”

I nodded and opened my arms immediately, purring as he hugged me tightly. “I love your hugs, Gee.”

“I love yours too, little one. Now shoo. I'm making you dinner and it's gonna be a surprise.”

I giggled, slipping off the counter and looking up at him. “One more kiss.”

“Mhm.” 

Gerard leaned down and kissed me once more, softly and carefully. “Cutie. Go on..”

I grinned and wandered into the living room, climbing onto the couch and curling up. I pulled a blanket over myself and yawned, pressing play on my tv show. 

~

After a while, Gerard brought two bowls in, smiling as he handed me one. “Here. Homemade baked macaroni and cheese. With bacon.”

My eyes widened and I smiled up at him. “It smells amazing!”

Gerard grinned and sat down next to me with his own bowl, letting me lean against him as I started to eat hungrily. 

“I'm worried about Mikey,” Gerard said after a brief pause. I looked up at him. Mikey and Pete had gone home over a week ago. 

“Why?”

“Just a feeling more than anything,” Gerard sighed quietly, shrugging. “He doesn't sound happy when I call him and Pete says he's been really...I dunno. Not lazy, but like...sleeping all the time and not wanting to do anything but sleep.”

I frowned, taking another bite of my pasta. “Is it about the asexual thing?”

“I don't know,” he mumbled, shaking his head. “I don't think so. This seems more serious.”

I leaned up and kissed his cheek. “The weekend is coming up, we could go see him.”

Gerard glanced at me. “I didn't think you'd want to.”

I blinked and shrugged. “I need to get used to being around other people. It's just...I need to take steps, y'know? Like, at the moment, I need you around to hold my hand. I won't always need you.”

He nodded slightly. “Okay. Saturday, then. I've got a lot of homework to do tonight, baby..”

I frowned and shook my head. “No. I wanna cuddle.”

“I have to do my work, Frankie. I'm sorry, little one. But we can have a nice long cuddle in bed soon.” 

~

I crept up to Gerard's desk, giggling as I poked his shoulder. He sighed and shook his head, but rubbed my arm as I hugged his shoulders from behind. “You okay?”

I nodded, resting my chin on my arm. “Mhm. Whatcha doin’?”

“Work. Just like I was ten minutes ago,” Gerard answered patiently, smiling slightly. I kissed his cheek. 

“But I'm booored.”

“Go watch some tv.”

“I'm bored of that.”

“Frankie, I need to do this work. I'm sorry, but you gotta find something to do on your own.”

“But I've been on my own all day,” I whined, leaning my head against his. Gerard rubbed my arm again slowly. 

“Mhm. So another hour won't make a big difference.”

I groaned and he tapped my arm with his hand. “Come on. Off. Go find something to do.”

I sighed and kissed his cheek before slipping away and walking out of the room moodily. 

I wandered into my own room, which I never slept in anymore, and dug through my drawers. I found a nice pair of boxers, my dark grey jeans with only one rip, and a black button up shirt. I put it all on and glanced in the mirror, then dabbed a little of the cologne I’d stolen from Gerard on my neck. I grabbed my hairbrush and ran it through my messy black hair, then pulled a face. I dug through my drawers again, coming up with the necklace. I stroked my fingertips over it, smiling. Gerard had told me I looked good in it, which meant he liked it. I fastened it carefully and checked the mirror again. It did look nice. 

I slipped out of my room and walked down the hall slowly, a little nervous. I knocked on his door and pushed it open. “Frankie...come on..”

I slipped in and bit my lip lightly as I walked up to the desk. I took a deep breath and spun his chair around, quickly climbing into his lap. 

“Frank!” Gerard exclaimed, grabbing my sides immediately. “I'm trying to-”

I cut him off by kissing him, quickly running my hands over his cheeks and holding his jaw as I pulled him deeper. He kissed back slowly, slipping one of his hands up into my hair. I changed position slightly and rolled my hips down against his, feeling myself rub up against him and letting out a soft, involuntary moan against his lips. Gerard's breath hitched and he squeezed my hips gently, kissing me again as I kept grinding down on him deliberately. 

I could feel him getting hard against me, the bulge obvious in his jeans, but I didn't feel the usual sense of dread. Instead, excitement flooded through me and I bit down on his bottom lip gently. 

Gerard ran his hands up and down my sides, kissing me as soon as I let go of his lip. I dropped my hands from his cheeks and started to unzip my jeans frantically, but Gerard grabbed my wrists, pulling away from the kiss. 

“Are you sure this is what you want?”

I nodded quickly, grinning at him. There was no apprehension at all. I wasn't worried or anxious or scared. I just  _ wanted _ him. 

Gerard stood up, lifting me up as if I weighed nothing and setting me down on the bed carefully. His pupils were blown, and I knew mine were too. 

“Fuck, you look so...so stunning..” He breathed, raking his eyes down my body before grabbing the waistband of my jeans and tugging them down. I giggled, trying to help him as I felt my cheeks flush. They were just a tiny bit too tight.

Gerard was laughing by the time he finally got them off, leaning over me and kissing me softly. I grinned and started to unbutton his shirt, purring as he took the necklace off me and set it aside carefully. I bit my lip lightly, fiddling with the last button on Gerard's shirt as he watched, chuckling. 

I giggled when I finally got it undone, pulling him into a kiss as he slipped the shirt off his shoulders. I wriggled my own shirt off and quickly unbuckled the belt on Gerard's jeans for him. I then stood up, kicking my boxers off and climbing back onto the bed, laying on my stomach and looking up at Gerard. He was staring, his own boxers tented by his rock hard cock. I blinked and swallowed. I'd never seen him naked before, and I'd never seen him hard before, but it was clearly going to be a bit of a difficult ride. 

Gerard smiled at me, leaning over and kissing me softly before slipping his boxers off. “I'm out of condoms, Frankie, are you clean?”

I nodded, folding my arms in front of me and resting my chin on them as I watched him dig around in his bedside drawer. 

“What position?” He asked as he finally found a bottle of lube and climbed up onto the bed, kneeling next to me. 

I rolled onto my back and lifted my legs, and Gerard grinned. “Perfect..”

I watched him spread the lube over his fingers, desperate to feel him stretch me. I needed this, and I needed it from him. Gerard leaned over and kissed me softly as he pushed the first finger into me. 

“Mm. You feel so good, Frankie,” he murmured against my lips. I smiled and kissed him a little harder, feeling the blush rise. He suddenly curled his finger and I groaned softly. “Ahh..”

“Is that good?” Gerard purred as I arched my back, my breathing short and shallow. I nodded just slightly as he added another finger, starting to rub that spot slowly. I trembled a little, mouth open as I whined. Gerard finally started to scissor his fingers in and out, stretching me a little more and easing up on my sensitive spot. 

I managed to relax, panting softly as I smiled up at Gerard. He grinned back at me, leaning down and kissing me briefly and lovingly. “You look so happy, Frankie. I'm glad I make you happy..”

I nodded, too engrossed in the pleasure to reply. 

Gerard kissed my forehead as he slipped his fingers out, then sat back, starting to smooth lube over his length. 

“You gonna be okay?”

I sat up a little to watch him, biting my lip lightly as I nodded. It almost frightened me how much I was ready for this. My stomach tingled and my mouth felt dry, and I wanted him to grab me and invade me and kiss me. I wanted to feel him close to me, my savior and the only man who’d ever truly loved me. 

Gerard took ahold of my hips gently, smiling as he leaned over me. “Ready?”

I grinned and kissed him deeply, then arched my back and groaned as he started to push in. I had expected the pain, and tried to relax, but kept digging my nails into Gerard's shoulders as he kissed my neck and collarbone lightly. 

“That's it, Frankie. It's okay to hold onto me..”

I wrapped my legs around him, pulling him deeper into me quickly and gasping as I finally took all of him in. 

I kissed him softly, tangling my fingers in his hair eagerly. The feeling of him inside me was amazing, I felt full and almost complete, satisfied. 

Gerard rubbed my stomach slowly, soothingly as I laid there, kissing him happily and letting myself get used to the stretch. 

I pulled away after a few minutes and kissed his nose. “Mm. M’ready.”

Gerard grinned and sat back slightly, holding onto my hips as he pulled out nearly all the way and slammed back into me quickly, building up a fast and hard rhythm almost immediately. 

I squealed and grabbed onto his arms, giggling breathlessly as I quickly relaxed into the thrusts and pulled him down into another kiss, groaning against his lips. He shifted angles and found my prostate, still holding me as he absolutely railed me, letting out a couple soft moans occasionally. 

I soon felt the semi-familiar heat building up in my stomach and quickly flipped Gerard over, kneeling over his hips. “Ahh..” I whined, sinking back onto him and grabbing onto the headboard. “N-nearly there..”

I grinned down at Gerard as I started to bounce, reveling in his completely enraptured expression. He was enjoying himself as much as I was, and I could tell we were both getting desperate for a release. I rolled my hips expertly, grunting softly with each drop down and letting my head roll back as I was about to cum. 

Gerard suddenly grabbed me and pulled out before throwing me down onto the bed on my stomach and shoving himself into me again, pounding me even harder than he had before as I squealed and rocked back, soon feeling my body jerk and my eyes roll back as pleasure overcame me and I spilled onto the sheets with a quiet sigh. 

Gerard didn't seem to notice, slamming into me a few more times before suddenly pulling my hips back and pushing himself as far into me as possible as I felt the wet heat inside me. He moaned and thrust again, and I grinned tiredly as I felt him fill me up. He thrust one last time before pulling out and slipping off the bed. “I'll be right back, hon..”

I grunted softly, trying to catch my breath as I heard the sink running. A few minutes later, Gerard walked back to me and lifted my hips gently, wiping off my cock and stomach with a warm, damp rag before running it between my cheeks. 

“There we go. That's it. You feeling okay?”

I nodded as he helped me sit up, away from the stain I'd left on the sheets. “Come on, baby. Let's go crash in your room, I don't wanna clean up tonight. Come on..”

Gerard helped me to my feet, wrapping an arm around me and supporting me all the way to my bed. He tucked me in, then climbed in next to me and pulled me close as I buried my face in his chest. He ran his hands all over me slowly, stroking my sides and back and shoulders as he hummed to me quietly and I drifted off contentedly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's a little short and a bit shitty


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You lucky shits are getting 5,300 words of chapter today :)  
> There's some fairly heavy anorexia stuff in this chapter, just so you know.   
> I hope you enjoy!

**G**

Frank was sleeping quietly, his little body laid out next to mine. I kissed his forehead and brushed his hair out of his eyes, a flash of guilt running through me. 

I’d taken him last night and I'd been rough, possibly too rough. I hadn't meant to hurt him, and he'd seemed fine in the moment, but I was starting to doubt myself now. I stroked his cheek slowly, watching him curl up slightly. He smiled slightly in his sleep. “Mm. Gee.”

I relaxed a little and started to rub his shoulder gently, smiling as he groaned and opened his eyes sleepily. “Hey baby. I've taken the day off school today...how are you feeling?”

He nuzzled the pillows, his eyebrows knitting together just before he yawned. “Sleepy..”

Frank shuffled a little and whined softly. “Mm. Sore..”

His eyes slipped closed and he smiled to himself. “Gee’s monster cock.”

I chuckled and felt my cheeks heating up as I stroked his hair. “I'm not  _ that  _ big.” 

“Maybe not, but I'm tiny,” Frank giggled, opening his eyes as he smiled at me. “I bet you could probably see it in my stomach.”

I knew I was going red now, and Frank was teasing me. I decided to hit back. 

“Would you want to?” 

He grinned. “It's pretty hot, actually. Seeing what's inside you moving under your skin.”

I rolled my eyes and sighed. “You are determined to set my face on fire this morning. Anyway, how would you know?”

Frank's grin changed to a smirk. “Because I've taken dildos up my ass that would make your cock look like it belonged to a fly.”

“Well flies don't have cocks.”

He giggled and kissed me softly, running his fingers through my hair. “Mm. Whatever. Maybe you should buy me a dildo.”

I grinned, rubbing his lower back slowly. “I'll buy you anything as long as it's practical. And I might have some anyway..”

“Oh, I'll use it. Don't worry,” Frank purred, kissing me again, then smiling more sincerely. “Thank you for last night, Gee. I...I needed it. I needed to remember that sex can be fun.”

I nodded and pulled him closer to me, rubbing his back slowly. “It's okay. I'm just glad I didn't hurt you. I really care about you, y'know..”

Frank kissed my cheek. “I care about you too, but I need a bath. I feel disgusting.”

He slipped out of bed, stretching slightly. I watched him, grinning to myself. “You wanna look through my toy collection, honey?”

He glanced back at me and shrugged. “Got anything good?”

I stood up, slapping his ass gently. “Go run a bath.”

Frank grinned and hurried off, and I stared after him.

He seemed different this morning, more mature and easygoing. I stared at the carpet and sighed. Maybe it was just my perception of him that had changed. I had known he wasn't innocent, but it hadn't exactly registered with me. I'd still thought of him as innocent and more as someone to be protected than someone who enjoyed large dildos. 

If he'd tried to tell me that yesterday morning I probably wouldn't have believed him, or would have been horrified. 

I wandered to my room and dug out my box of toys, leaving it in Frank's room before knocking on the bathroom door. “You okay?”

“Mhm. You can come in.”

I turned the handle and slipped into the room. Frank was laid out in the bath luxuriously, looking even smaller than usual in the large tub. 

I walked over and knelt down next to him, leaning against the side of the tub. 

“How're you feeling, baby?”

He smiled without opening his eyes. “Better. It's been a while, y'know? Makes me a little more sore than usual.”

I nodded, kissing his cheek softly. “You seem happier today. Less…” I waved a hand vaguely and he hummed.

“I feel more grown up. I'm not a kid anymore, I'm eighteen and I've just had sex with a man I think I'm in love with..”

I felt my chest tighten and smiled slightly. “But you weren't...a baby before either.”

“No, but all that stuff with my masters and with my pregnancy happened  _ to  _ me. This...I chose this.”

Frank opened his green eyes slowly, grinning at me as small sections of dim green light ran down his mantle, highlighting the scars. I blinked. 

“Wow.”

He sank down into the water a little more. “Mhm. Happens when it gets longer or when I'm happy.”

I leaned over and kissed him softly, stroking his cheeks. “You're so special, Frankie.” 

Frank smiled into the kiss, but broke away gently. “Mm. Thank you, Gee..”

I grinned and kissed his forehead. “You're always welcome. Look, I have to finish that work from last night, but I was thinking maybe after we could go on a date type thing...we could get dinner and go see a movie..”

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I'd love to, but maybe only one of those things. Both would be a little too much for me in one go.”

I nodded and kissed the side of his head. “Okay. I'll go book a table somewhere, alright?”

~

Frank was exhausted by the time we got home in the evening. He'd been very jumpy out of the house, staring at everything warily and jerking away from everyone who got too close. Now he was asleep in my arms as I carried him inside. 

I could have sworn he was smaller than this morning, but I just shook my head and laid him down on his bed carefully. I changed his clothes for him and tucked him in, then kissed his forehead. 

I wandered out of the room to clean up, tidying the kitchen and living room before walking back to Frank's room and kicking my shirt and jeans away. I climbed in next to him and kissed his cheek, settling down happily as he snuggled up to me in his sleep. 

~

Frank gently tugged my arm, pouting up at me. “Stay! Please please please!”

I gently tilted his chin up and kissed him softly. “Nope. I gotta go. I wasn't supposed to take one day off, let alone two. Let go of me, baby.”

Frank whined quietly, backing away slightly. “But I'm gonna be so lonely!”

I tugged him into a hug, squeezing gently. “Come on, Frank. You'll be fine. I'll see you tonight..”

I pushed him away as gently as possible, then kissed his forehead.

“Bye Gee. I love you..”

I smiled a little and slipped out of the front door. 

~

When I got home, Frank was laying on the couch, completely naked as he flipped through a magazine. I kicked my shoes off and hung my coat up, walking over slowly. 

“Hey..”

He looked up at me and grinned. “Hey. I've been getting ready for you to come home since you left..”

He stood up slowly and walked up to me, purring as he ran his hands all over me. “Are  _ you  _ ready?”

“Fuckin’...yeah,” I mumbled stupidly, already feeling my cock twitch. This man knew how to be sexy, and he’d been faking it for years, but now it was all genuine and it was all for me. 

“Go to the bedroom and get undressed, I'll be there in a second..”

I did as I was told quickly, tossing everything except my boxers away. I heard soft footsteps and Frank walked in holding a glass of water. He put it on the bedside table and stretched before kneeling on the bed, his legs spread a little as he leant back slightly. I walked over and leaned down to kiss him, but he pushed my chest gently. “No touching, not yet.”

I blinked and watched as he reached behind himself, pulling a face as he took a grip on the dildo I hadn't even realized he had inside him. I sat down on the edge of the bed, watching him as he shuddered a little before starting to move it, in and out quickly. My eyes widened and I watched the bulge move under his skin as he moaned softly and arched his back even more, making it even more noticeable. 

I stood up suddenly, slipping my boxers off and moving to stand next to him. Frank slowed down and grinned at me, taking his other hand and starting to stroke me up and down slowly. I gently pushed his hand away from the dildo, grabbing the end of it and pulling it out slowly. “Fuuuck..” 

Frank moaned softly, wriggling a little as the thing just kept coming, finally falling out onto the bed with a quiet thump. “Holy shit,” I muttered, staring at what must have been two feet of dildo, thicker than I was. “How long..?”

“Since this morning,” Frank purred, rolling his hips a little as a hint. I shook my head slowly and grabbed my lube, adding a little more before sliding the thing back into him. 

“I didn't actually have one of these.”

“Mhm, I learned how to do an online order yesterday,” Frank said proudly, smiling at me. I kissed him happily. “Well done, baby. And you're right. It's hot.”

He giggled, going a little red as I gripped the end of the dildo again and started to really fuck him with it, keeping an eye on his stomach as he moaned happily and arched his back up again. Frank began to stroke me again, in time with the thrusts of the dildo as we both moaned. 

He slowly started to rock back into each thrust, trembling slightly until he suddenly went rigid. I kept the rhythm and grinned to myself as he erupted, falling back on the bed and spilling all over his thighs and stomach, arching his back as the last sticky white rope shot out. Without thinking, I dove in, taking him into my mouth and milking the last of the bitter liquid gently, rubbing near the base of his cock. 

He moaned quietly, but sounded completely exhausted, so I pulled off quickly and guided him to sit up. “That's it..” I slid the dildo back into him, watching as he whined softly. 

“Mmhm. That's it..” I kissed his cheek and he flashed me a tired smile, moving back so he was sitting with his back against the headboard. 

“Mm. Gee, c’mere..” 

I climbed onto the bed, and he frowned slightly, changing position onto his knees. “Here. Stand up on your knees..”

I realized what he was doing and obliged happily, presenting my cock in front of his face eagerly. Frank grinned at me and started to rub my thigh. “Mm. I'm gonna start, but after the second time I take you completely, you can start to fuck my mouth, yeah?”

I nodded, enraptured as I stroked Frank's cheek. He leaned forward slightly and wrapped his lips around my tip, starting to suck softly and swirl his tongue around, then dipped it into my slit. I groaned quietly and slid a hand into his hair, taking a gentle grip. 

He suddenly grabbed my hips and buried his nose in my stomach, easily letting me slide down his throat. I groaned softly, looking down at him as he closed his eyes, his hair messy and a little sweaty. He looked beautiful, his green eyes happy and lustful as he opened them again, sliding back and swirling his tongue before taking me in again, this time swallowing around me and making me groan and tremble. 

“Fuck, Frankie...this is amazing..”

He smiled around me and pulled off with a wet popping noise. “Mm. You can fuck my mouth now if-”

I didn't wait for him to finish the sentence, pushing into him unceremoniously and shoving myself down his throat. He smiled again and grabbed onto my thighs as I started to thrust, keeping a tight grip on his hair as I let passion and lust take over, slamming in and out of Frank's throat. I came fairly quickly, pushing into him as far as I could get as I released down his throat. He purred softly and I pulled out, still spilling cum as I kissed him desperately, pulling him close. He collapsed onto my chest as I laid back, panting. 

“Mm. Gee,” he whined, his voice already wrecked. He smiled up at me, his eyes soft and content as he laid with me quietly. 

“Gee..”

“Mhm?” 

“I wanna feel you cum in me again..”

“Then make me hard again, baby,” I purred, smirking at him. He giggled and rolled his eyes, sitting up and kneeling with his knees on either side of my hips. 

“That's not exactly difficult.” 

“Whatever,” I grinned, watching as he arched his back and took a deep breath. 

He gripped the dildo again and rolled his head back as he started to move it in and out painfully slowly, the bulge in his stomach moving with it. Frank slowly started to speed up, wrapping his other hand around his length and starting to pump quickly, moaning shakily. I groaned and flipped him over, grabbing for the lube. “Fuck, Frankie..”

He giggled and kept fucking himself, moaning a little louder now and watching me with half-lidded eyes. I almost whined watching him, slapping lube over myself quickly and ripping the dildo out. Frank pouted and grabbed for it. “I can take both..”

I considered this for a second and quickly shoved it back into him, lifting his hips as I started to push in slowly. He shuddered and rolled around a little as he groaned, clearly uncomfortable, but quickly started to relax as soon as I was in. I gently pushed down on the dildo through his stomach and he whined happily, arching his back at the feeling. 

I stared at him for a while, taking in his lithe, sweaty body and the tired but happy grin on his face. I wondered if I looked the same, pupils blown in lust and hair messy. 

I leaned over and kissed Frank softly, stroking his cheeks slowly. “Mm..”

He purred, smiling at me as I broke away. “When you're getting close, pull the dildo out, yeah? I wanna feel it..”

I nodded slightly and stroked his side, smiling at him before pulling nearly all the way out and slamming back in, making him squeal and roll his head back. I dug my fingernails into the soft, pale flesh on his hips, picking up my usual pace and keeping a hand over the bulge, pressing down in time with my thrusts and causing Frank to fidget under me, shaking as he panted. 

He came after only a couple minutes, shuddering as he spilled all over himself again, decorating his hips and stomach. I leaned down and licked some up slowly, grinning at him before picking my pace back up. He writhed under me for a while, gasping in shaky pain as I used his now sensitive hole, but he begged me to keep going, his eyes wide and frantic. 

Frank soon started to moan again, trembling and panting as he rocked back onto me, trying to get both my cock and the dildo into himself as far as possible. He came once more just as I felt the buildup and quickly pulled the dildo out, slamming in a couple more times before grabbing his thighs and tightening my muscles as I shot into him. He lay limp, panting as I filled him up. I pulled out and admired the little dribble of my cum that spilled out, then kissed my beautiful partner and got up. “I'm gonna go run a bath, honey.”

I wandered into the bathroom, turning the tap on and walking back to him slowly. Frank was tidying sleepily, yawning as I wrapped my arms around him from behind. 

“Mm. Thank you, Gee,” he murmured, his voice broken and shaky. I grinned and kissed his cheek. “Anytime. Come on. Come have a bath with me, baby..”

“Carry me?”

I chuckled and scooped him up bridal style, carrying him to the bath slowly. I sat down and gently lowered him into my lap, smiling as he curled up in between my legs, his side pressed against my chest. I rolled my eyes, but hugged him tightly, burying my face in his hair. 

~

I was just helping Frank into bed when Pete called. I picked it up, rubbing Frank's lower back as he collapsed onto the bed face first. 

“Hey, Pete. What's up?”

“Um. Well, I'm sorry to bother you, but Mikey isn't...himself.”

I cleared my throat, laying back on the bed and stroking Frank's warm side absentmindedly. “I knew he seemed off, that's why I said we'd come down this weekend. Is everything okay? I mean...he's not hurt or anything, right?”

“I don't know,” Pete mumbled dejectedly. “I don't think he's been eating..”

Frank rolled onto his side to face me, resting his hand on my chest as he watched worriedly. 

“What do you mean?”

“Well...he's always been skinny and I guess he always will be, but lately...I can see all his ribs and he's been really tired and grumpy the past week or so. I just...I'm worried about him.”

I sighed and kissed Frank's forehead softly, smiling slightly as he snuggled up to me, nuzzling my jaw and hugging me tightly. “Okay. There's not much I can do right now, but I can come down earlier tomorrow? It's Saturday tomorrow, right?”

Frank rolled his eyes at me. 

“Yeah,” Pete said quietly. “What time?”

“I'll aim for nine, I guess. Call me if anything changes, yeah? Are you with him?”

“Mhm. I'm spending the night.”

“Good. I'll talk to you later. Thanks for calling, Pete.”

I hung up and Frank leaned up slightly, kissing my cheek. “You okay?”

I nodded slightly. “Did you catch any of that?”

Frank smiled sadly and brushed my hair behind my ears gently. “Yeah. He sounds worried.”

“I am now too,” I sighed, rolling onto my side and wrapping my arm around Frank's waist. 

“Do you wanna watch a movie or something? Take your mind off it?” He asked gently, his voice hoarse and shaky. I shrugged. “Might be nice if you're up to it..”

He giggled and rubbed my chest slowly. “It doesn't  exactly take a lot of effort. Come on. I might fall asleep on you,” he hummed, sitting up and stretching. 

“Frankie, I think you've gotten taller,” I said suddenly, squinting at him. He shrugged. 

“I think I do get taller and shorter based on my confidence level. It's an adult shifter thing. It's only a couple inches of difference.”

I chuckled softly. “That's kinda weird.”

“Yep..”

He slid out of bed, tugging a pair of his boxers on before grabbing one of my shirts and slipping it on. He wandered out of the room and I sighed, getting up. I pulled on my pajama pants and followed him, yawning as I ran a hand through my hair. Frank was in the kitchen, humming to himself happily as he rummaged through the fridge. “M’hungry.”

“Are you now?” I chuckled, rubbing his hips as I walked up behind him. “I think maybe we forgot to eat dinner.”

“I had a snack,” he pointed out with a chuckle. I rolled my eyes and trailed my fingertips down his back. “Mm. Not very nutritious. Why don't I make us some sandwiches while you choose a movie?”

Frank nodded, turning and kissing my chest before slipping past me and walking to the living room quietly. I watched him go, smiling to myself. My shirt still came down to his mid thighs. 

I started to make the sandwiches quietly, unsuccessfully trying to push the building worry to the back of my mind. 

~

Frank rested his head on my shoulder, his arms wrapped around one of mine as I drove. He was half asleep, his eyes half closed as we listened to the radio. 

“You okay?”

He curled up a little tighter and yawned. “Mhm. Stayed up late.”

“I know, sweetie. You could've gone to bed if you wanted..”

Frank nuzzled my shoulder sleepily. “S’okay. I stayed with you.”

My chest tightened and I smiled to myself, slowly pulling the car over. I shook Frank off carefully and got out, walking to the trunk and opening it. I rummaged around for a couple minutes, then got back in the driver’s seat, handing Frank the pillow and blanket I’d dug out from the back. 

“Here. Take a nap, hon. You look exhausted.”

Frank leaned over and kissed my cheek, then pushed the pillow up against the window and rested his head on it. I laid the blanket over him, then chuckled and started the engine again, pulling back onto the road carefully. 

~

Mum opened the door when we got there. Frank was clinging to my hand, but staying back a little, sniffling. He'd stolen one of my hoodies for the trip, wanting to be comfortable and comforted. 

Mum looked straight past me to him, grinning. “Hey! You must be Frank!”

Frank shuffled to the side slightly, further behind me. I smiled at Mum sadly. 

“He's a little shy.”

She stepped back, shaking her head. “That's okay. Shy is normal for this family.”

I stepped inside, gently pulling Frank with me and kicking my shoes off quickly. 

“Mikey is in the shower, Pete is...I think he was napping on the couch. Would you like a drink? Either of you?”

I glanced at Frank and he just pressed himself closer to me, eyes wide. “Uh. Two coffees would be great, actually..” I said quietly. “We had a late night last night.”

Mum nodded and I followed her into the kitchen, guiding Frank to sit down just as a small wolf about the size of a Labrador trotted in, sitting down next to Frank's chair. Frank leaned away from it a little, and I squeezed his shoulder gently, trying to reassure him as I took the chair on his other side. 

Mum finished making the coffees and set them down in front of us, clearly not noticing Frank's unease. The wolf growled suddenly and Frank shot into my lap, burying his face in my chest as he curled up tightly. I sighed and rubbed his back slowly, whispering in his ear. 

“Shh, honey. It's just Pete..”

He went stiff and I blinked. “You didn't know?”

Frank shook his head slowly and I sighed. “I thought you could always tell.”

He shrugged in answer and I gently peeled him off me, watching Pete walk out with a bone in his mouth. “Mum, that-”

“It's raw, Gerard, it's fine,” she laughed, shaking her head as I finally sat Frank down in his seat again. Mum sat down across from him, smiling at him warmly. 

“Do you like coffee, Frank?”

I cut in quickly, noticing Frank tense. “He's never had it before, Mum.”

Frank took a sip politely and immediately pulled a face. Mum just grinned. 

“It's an acquired taste, Frank, it's okay. Has he been living under a rock, Gee? Mikey wouldn't say much..”

I swallowed hard, rubbing Frank's back slowly. “He's been in slavery, Mum.”

Frank pulled the sleeves of the hoodie over his hands, looking away. Mum went a little pale, watching Frank for a second or two. “I'm so sorry, honey,” she said at last, gently. “I didn't know. Is Gerard taking good care of you?”

Frank nodded slightly, looking like he just wanted to curl up and die. 

“Good, cause otherwise I'd slap him upside the head.”

I heard footsteps and glanced around at Pete. He smiled at me a little grimly and jerked his head towards the stairs. “Can you come..?”

I nodded and got up, wincing as Frank scrambled after me. Mum watched sadly, sighing as I took Frank's hand. 

“I'll be back in a minute.”

She nodded and I wrapped an arm around Frank's waist, following Pete up the stairs and into Mikey's room. Mikey was curled up on the bed, his back to the door and a thick blanket pulled over him. Pete walked over and sat on the edge of it, rubbing the younger boy’s hip. 

“Mikes. Come on, Mikes. It's Gee and Frank. They're worried about you, just like me. We just want you to be okay..”

“I'm fine,” Mikey snapped quietly. I felt Frank slip away from me and glanced down as he sat on the floor, hugging his knees sleepily. 

I ruffled his hair before wandering over, crouching down on the other side of the bed. Mikey hid his face under the blanket quickly. 

“Mikes. What's going on?”

Pete sighed softly. “I got a little out of him last night. He hasn't been eating. He's been throwing up a lot of stuff, too, but he won't tell me why..”

I looked up at Pete and bit my lip, about to say something when he stood up. “I know. I'll uh...leave you guys to it.”

As soon as the door clicked shut behind him, Mikey pulled the covers away and reached out for me. I straightened up and leaned over the bed, hugging him tightly. “It's okay, Mikes. Whatever’s going on, I'm not gonna be mad or disappointed in you, I promise.”

I tensed a little as a little black cat jumped up on the bed beside me, but quickly relaxed, stroking Frank's back slowly. “Look, Mikes..”

Mikey pulled away from me slightly, sniffling as he smiled at Frank. “Aw. Hi..”

Frank climbed up on his legs, nuzzling his chest. Mikey picked him up carefully, hugging him and smiling a little brighter as he purred. 

“Are you gonna talk to me?” I prompted gently, looking at Mikey seriously. “I'm worried about you. How did this all happen?”

Mikey let go of Frank, watching the little cat as he jumped off the bed. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. 

“You're not gonna talk to me, are you?”

Mikey shrugged and I looked up as Frank stood up on the other side of the room, stretching his arms and back. He walked over, sitting down on the edge of the bed and taking Mikey's hands gently. 

“Five minutes, Gee.”

I sighed and got up, kissing Frank's cheek before walking out of the room and smiling sadly at Pete. “He won't talk to me.”

“Me neither...you don't think he's like...suicidal?”

“No, no,” I said quickly, shaking my head. “I don't think so. Mikey's had some issues with his weight in the past, but never this bad. It's about something else..”

The door clicked and Frank stuck his head out, looking worried. “He's being bullied at school. Says they call him fat and stuff. He's crying, I'm not good with crying..”

Frank trailed off, letting go of the door as Pete pushed past him. I pulled him into a kiss instead, then hugged him tightly. “Thank you, Frankie. Thank you.” 

He smiled at me shyly and kissed my cheek. “I'm gonna go wait downstairs..”

I nodded and rubbed his side briefly. “Okay, love..”

~

Mikey was sobbing as Pete tried to talk to him, murmuring softly and kissing his cheeks. I reached over and grabbed my brother’s arm gently, heaving him out of bed. “Come on.”

“Gerard, you're hurting him!” Pete yelled, but Mikey barely made a sound as I dumped him in front of the mirror and ripped his shirt off. “Look. Look at yourself, Mikey.”

“N-no..”

Pete hurried over, but I pushed his chest gently. “Hold on. Mikey, look. Please. For me, for your Geebe. Yeah?”

He sniffed and shifted his dull eyes to the mirror sullenly. “I'm fucking disgusting.”

“No, you're not,” I murmured, running a fingertip over his ribs. “Look at that. I can count your ribs from ten feet away, Mikey. You look like Frank when he first came home.”

“No, I've g-got all this f-fat..” He muttered, grabbing at his stomach and pulling out a tiny fold of skin. “Look!”

I winced and Pete sighed softly. “I don't think he can see what we see, Gerard..”

I sighed and grabbed a ruler and a sharpie off the desk. “Pete, go fetch Frankie please.”

I showed the ruler to Mikey. “Okay. When Frank arrived and we started getting his weight up, I used this to measure, so I put him against the wall, put his back flat against it and used the ruler to measure how wide his stomach was at the belly button. He didn't like scales, so I used that. It's crude, I know. But when he first came, he was here.” I marked the two and three quarter line carefully. “Okay?”

Mikey nodded slightly and Frank slipped in, followed by Pete. “Hey,” I smiled, reaching out for him and kissing his forehead as he stopped in front of me. 

“Hi. What did you need?”

I handed him the ruler. “Can you go-”

He rolled his eyes and smiled at me as he walked to the wall, placing the ruler carefully. I marked a line. “Five. Nice, Frankie..”

Frank blushed a little and tugged his shirt down. “Would you measure Pete?”

“Mhm. Six.”

“Okay. Now me..”

Frank giggled and shook his head, slapping my stomach gently. “Six and a half.”

“Thanks, sweetie. Now Mikey..”

Mikey's eyes widened and he backed away slightly, but Frank just smiled at him sweetly and gently pushed him against the wall. “Mm. Four.”

Mikey stared at me blankly. “Th-that's wrong, I-”

“Are you questioning my measuring skills?” Frank asked softly, poking his stomach gently. “That's rude.”

“I-I…no..” Mikey buried his face in his hands and I sighed, thanking Frank softly and kissing his cheek. “Go sit down somewhere, yeah?”

He nodded and slipped out, shutting the door behind him as Mikey broke down completely. I got there before Pete, wrapping my little brother up in my arms and rocking him slowly. “Shh. Shh, Mikey. It's okay, hon, I'm here. We’re gonna get you feeling better, I promise. It's gonna be okay.” 

~

Frank rolled over as I got into bed with him, wrapping my arms around him and pulling him close. He purred sleepily and nuzzled my neck. 

“How is he?”

“I'm glad Pete's here,” I sighed quietly. “Otherwise I'd have to stay in his room tonight.”

“That bad?” Frank winced, stroking my cheek slowly. I nodded slightly and he kissed me softly. 

“It'll be okay, Gerard. He's got good people all around him.”

I smiled sadly and rubbed his back slowly. “Mhm. He's got a counselor appointment on Monday cause I think we need more help...I'm really busy at school all of next week, though, so we’re gonna have to go home for a while and come back next weekend and stay the week after, I think. Sound good?”

Frank nuzzled my jaw gently, running his fingers into my hair and pressing soft kisses to my neck. “Mhm. Whatever you need, I love you, Gee.”

I kissed his forehead and he tensed before pulling away slightly. 

“Gerard? Why don't you say you love me anymore?”

I blinked and bit my lip harshly, looking into his hurt green eyes. “Uh. Baby, I...I loved you before as a friend, as part of my family. And now...I'm getting used to having romantic feelings for you. I love you, but I'm not sure I'm  _ in  _ love with you yet, and I don't wanna say it until I am...I'm...I’m sorry.”

Frank relaxed slightly and smiled sadly. “I just wish you felt the way I do..”

“I know, baby, but I'm getting there,” I soothed, kissing him deeply and stroking his hair as I pulled away. “Come on. We need some sleep and I wanna cuddle the shit out of you..”

Frank giggled and threw a leg over my hips. “ _ My  _ Gee..”

“All yours.” 


	12. Chapter 12

**F**

I was curled up on the couch in Gerard’s Mum’s house just after breakfast, playing chess with Pete. I wasn't very good at it, but he wasn't either. Mikey was sitting in the armchair, reading some kind of school book, while Gerard was showering upstairs. Mikey looked a lot better than he had about ten days ago, his eyes much less haunted and dull. 

I moved a pawn and blinked, suddenly starting to feel sick. “Mm.”

I blinked again, but everything was swimming in and out of focus and I felt dizzy. I stumbled to my feet and gagged. Pete jumped up and wrapped an arm around my waist, gently guiding me to the bathroom as Mikey followed quickly. I fell to my knees in front of the toilet and threw up immediately, gagging a couple times before heaving again and emptying my stomach. 

“Fuck...there's b-blood..”

Pete slipped out quickly and Mikey crouched down next to me, rubbing my back slowly. “Pete’s gonna go get Gerard..”

I looked down at the mess and felt a hot tear run down my cheek. “No...I'm fine,” I mumbled, getting up and flushing the toilet before rinsing my mouth out. 

“But-”

“I'm fine! Jesus.”

I shoved past him, hurrying up to the spare room I was staying in, slamming the door behind me and locking it. I pulled out my laptop and opened it, bringing Google up.

~

Gerard knocked on the door for the hundredth time, sighing quietly. “Frankie, please. I'm worried about you. Can you open the door?”

I felt my shoulders drop and I got up, unlocking the door and opening it. He stared at me in surprise, blinking as he stepped in and kissed my forehead. “What's going on?” Gerard murmured, shutting the door behind him and trying to pull me into a hug. I stepped back, feeling nothing. 

“I'm pregnant.”

He just stood there for a few seconds, then moved around me and sat down on the edge of the bed, patting the mattress next to him. I took a seat a couple inches from him, shaking slightly. 

Gerard took a deep breath and moved his hand to my thigh as he looked at me with a carefully blank expression. “How do you feel about it?”

I blinked slowly. “I don't know.”

He smiled sadly and brushed my hair out of my face with his fingers. “Have a think about it, honey. Because I don't know how to feel about it until I know your thoughts.”

“But you must have initial reactions and-”

Gerard waved a hand and kissed my cheek. “Those don't matter.”

“But-”

“Okay, so my initial reaction, the first second was ‘what the fuck,’ followed by ‘oh fuck he's probably upset,’ and then ‘shit I'm gonna be a dad, that's awesome.’ How's that?”

I giggled shakily and finally felt my nose start to sting as the tears came. “V-very obscene..”

He grinned and pecked my lips softly. “Yeah, I know. Come on, what...what do you feel..?”

I looked down at my lap as Gerard wrapped an arm around me, pulling me closer to him gently. “Sad. I feel sad,” I mumbled at last. “Because I missed my first chance-”

“You didn't miss it,” he interrupted softly. “It was taken from you.”

I nodded slightly and went on. “I also feel angry, because I didn't really want this. I didn't want another baby, at least not yet. I'm scared, I don't wanna be a terrible mum or dad or whatever. But I'm also happy because I get a second chance...I don't know..”

Gerard stroked my hair slowly, rubbing my side. “What's the strongest feeling right now?”

“Uh...scared,” I muttered, looking at my shaking hands. “Really scared. And just general upset-ness.”

He nodded and nuzzled the side of my head. “You don't have to have it, Frank, if you don't want to. I'll support you if-”

“N-no...I'm not losing another one..”

He sighed and stroked my cheek slowly, brushing the scattered tears off my skin. “Okay. Then I guess I am gonna be a dad. I love kids..”

I smiled at him as more tears spilled down my cheeks and he hugged me gently, but I pushed him away slightly. 

“I h-have to talk to you. There's uh…” I looked at him, my heart clenching as I stared into his worried hazel eyes. “There's two ways of male shifters getting pregnant. When the population of an area gets low and there aren't many children around, it causes females to start letting off this...pheromone that triggers a hormone in the males that lets them get pregnant. Y-you can buy them on the Internet. The pheromones..”

Gerard tensed up slightly, shaking his head quickly. “Frankie, I would never...I wouldn't ever do that to you. If I'd known there was any kind of chance, I would have insisted on condoms, I just...I don't want you hurt..”

I sniffed, resting my head on his shoulder as I shuffled closer into his warm side. 

“What's the other way?” Gerard murmured after a short pause. 

“Um. A lot of scientists disagree, but they say that when two males have sex and one of them is a shifter, that shifter’s body knows who is having sex with them. I guess it's like...like mates with werewolves. You only have one and you'll love them for the rest of your life. I thought it only happened with male female couples, but apparently not...and when the two mates have sex for the first time, it always results in pregnancy. Even in males. And after that, it's only your mate who can get you pregnant...it's complicated, I-”

Gerard was staring at me, his mouth open slightly. “You think we’re mates?” He asked incredulously. 

I flinched away, ducking my head. “It was a stupid idea, I'm-”

“No, Frankie, no,” he murmured quickly, hugging me tightly and kissing the top of my head. “I didn't mean it like that. I meant it in a happy way. I  _ love you _ , Frank. I'm so glad we're meant to be..”

I buried my face in his chest and just let go, starting to sob into his shirt. 

~

Gerard held my hand as we walked out of the bedroom and to the living room slowly. Mrs. Way, Mikey, and Pete were all waiting, watching us worriedly as Gerard sat down on the sofa and pulled me down after him gently. I leaned against his side, hugging his arm loosely. 

“Uh. Frank's fine, I wanna get that straight first,” Gerard mumbled nervously. “But there's something we haven't told you. We're uh...in a relationship. Frank and I.”

Mikey glared at his brother, his jaw clenching. “Gerard, I-”

Gee held a hand up quickly. “Let me finish before you shout at me. Frank isn't a minor, he lied about his age and he's eighteen going on nineteen in a couple weeks.”

I buried my face in his sleeve shakily and he started to rub my thigh soothingly. 

“I love him, and he likes to tell me he loves me. We were gonna take it slow, but it didn't really end up that way...and uh...Frank is pregnant.”

Mikey was beyond livid now, glaring at Gerard with an intense passion. “What the  _ actual fuck _ ?” He hissed, and I noticed Pete trying to calm him down. “Gerard, Frank has been abused by older men his whole life, he's been beaten and raped continuously and now  _ you're  _ taking advantage of him? What is wrong with you? Are you some kind of pervert? Was this your plan all-”

“Mikey, that's enough,” Mrs. Way cut in softly, looking directly at me. “Can we hear your side, Frank?”

I blinked and nodded quickly. “I do love Gerard, he’s my everything. He makes me feel safe and happy and he's never made me do something I didn't want to. I kissed him first and I seduced him the first time we had sex.”

Mikey seemed to relax slightly, but everyone was watching me now as Gerard's gentle hand ran up and down my back slowly. 

“How does the pregnancy thing work..?” Mikey asked tentatively. I glanced at Gerard and he smiled down at me. 

“Uh. Well, there's two ways. There's a pheromone that causes shapeshifter males to be able to become pregnant, or...their mate gets them pregnant. The first time a male shifter has sex with his male mate, he becomes pregnant. Always..”

Pete blinked and grinned. “Seriously? Oh my God! Congrats, Frankie!”

I giggled shyly and felt the blush rise as Gerard purred, nuzzling my cheek. “Mm. Lucky Frankie..”

I rolled my eyes and cuddled up to him as he lifted me into his lap. “Lucky Gee.”

Pete all but squealed, wriggling his hips and jostling Mikey in his seat. “They're so cute!! Look, Mikey!”

He sighed and pointed at Gerard. “I'm keeping an eye on you. But yes, Pete. They are cute.”

Mrs. Way stood up. “I guess I have a cake to bake..”

“Uh, Mum,” Gerard said quickly, holding me carefully. “I was gonna talk to you about that...Frank is still very sick and tired, and I think I ought to take him home, so we can go see the doctor tomorrow and I can take care of him properly.”

“It should pass in a week,” I interrupted with a yawn. Gerard nodded. 

“And then we could have a joint birthday and baby celebration or something? For Frankie..”

She smiled and shrugged. “Works for me. Especially if Frank isn't feeling very good. You boys should go home now..”

~

I woke up the next morning sticky with sweat, groaning softly. Gerard was leaning over me, holding a cold rag to my forehead and stroking my bare chest slowly. “Hey, baby. Is this normal?”

I rolled onto my side shakily and nodded slightly. “For me, anyway.”

“You've got your appointment in about half an hour. What do you wanna wear?” Gerard murmured, kissing me softly and rubbing my side as he pulled away.

“Sweats and a t shirt,” I mumbled, gently batting his hand away. All of my skin stung where he touched it, where the blanket brushed it. Everywhere. 

He got the clean clothes out for me, then started to dress me carefully, helping me up when I was done. “Come on..”

Gerard half carried me to the bathroom and waited patiently while I sorted myself out, then took me out to the car, even buckling my seatbelt for me.

~

Gerard helped me up onto the bench, guiding me to lay down comfortably. “That's it. Comfy?”

“I'm on fire,” I grumbled, gently taking his hand. “This isn't the usual doctor.”

“No, it's not, this is a special place that has specialized doctors to deal with pregnancies. They're experts..” He tapped my nose gently with his finger and I rolled my eyes, pulling him down into a quick kiss. The door clicked and a tall female vampire walked in, smiling at me. “Hey, Frank. I'm Doctor Kosta, but you can call me Jen..”

She sat down on the little stool and moved it over to me, glancing at Gerard. “You must be the boyfriend..?”

He smiled and looked down at me. “Unofficially, I guess. I'm Gerard..” They shook hands and I smiled proudly at Jen, feeling at ease with Gerard standing over me protectively. 

“He's my mate.”

She grinned and rubbed my forearm gently. “Well congrats on finding him, hon. How are you feeling?” 

“Terrible,” I sighed, feeling Gerard squeeze my hand. “I woke up with a bad fever this morning and I was throwing up blood yesterday until about mid afternoon. I couldn't keep anything down..”

Jen pulled a face and nodded, glancing at Gerard. “Shapeshifter pregnancies are very hard on the body, especially the male body, because the baby develops much quicker than in humans or any other humanoid species. The babies are as developed as a human baby would be just before birth after only four months, and spend the last two months maturing before birth. So your morning sickness will be rough, but it should pass in a week or two..” 

She was scribbling something on the clipboard now. “You should only be bringing up blood on the first couple times in the morning, if you throw up throughout the day and it has blood in it, you could be losing too much blood. It's not affecting the baby, but you should have a blood transfusion. Keep an eye on it, and go to the ER for any problems, okay?”

Gerard and I both nodded and she smiled at me. “Alright. I'm going to do an ultrasound now, have you ever had one before?”

I blinked, shaking my head nervously. Jen nodded slightly. 

“Okay. It's basically just looking inside your stomach using this machine..” She tapped a machine sitting next to the bed with a screen. “I have to put gel on your stomach and press down with the wand and we’ll get to see what's going on in there. Make sure you're definitely carrying.”

I squeezed Gerard's hand and he kissed my forehead softly. “It won't hurt, Frankie. Promise.”

Jen turned all the lights off and Gerard switched sides to be out of the way, helping me roll my shirt up. The doctor spread some of the gel over my stomach and pressed the wand against my skin, passing it back and forth slowly. 

“Ah...here we go..” She turned the screen slightly and tapped it. “See the small mass there? That's your fetus. It's only tiny tiny right now, but in about six weeks, we’ll be able to tell the sex, and in two months, you'll start to feel them kicking.”

I giggled softly and touched the screen lightly. “So tiny.”

Gerard leaned down and kissed my cheek, his eyes lit up. I laced our fingers together and bit my lip. “I know it's not much right now, but could we take a picture with us?” He asked softly, rubbing my thigh with his spare hand. 

Jen nodded and tapped a couple buttons. “Yep. No problem…”

She wiped my stomach off and packed the machine up before turning the lights on again and sitting back down in her stool. “We need to go over a couple more things. ‘Practice’ contractions will start in the fifth month. If they become persistent, usually about four or more at a time is considered persistent, and are less than two minutes apart, it's time to go to the hospital. You will have to have a C section, it's the only way for you to give birth. It's why shapeshifters were able to teach us so much about surgery and wound care, but anyway..” She waved a hand vaguely. “That's a discussion for another time. Frank, you're very small, even for your species, so I'd rather you scheduled more regular check up visits just to nip any issues in the bud. Gerard, take care of him.”

“Yes ma’am,” he chuckled, rubbing my side slowly. “Will do..”

She grinned and stood up, tucking her pen away. “Perfect. Make sure you rest and eat plenty, Frank. And lots of fluids. I'll have the nurse give you a pregnancy pack and your pictures in a second, just wait here for a couple minutes.”

As soon as she was gone, Gerard pulled me into a hug, squeezing me gently as I buried my face in his shoulder. 

“We're having a baby, Frankie...I can't believe it..”

“I love you..”

“I love both of you,” Gerard chuckled, kissing the side of my head and holding me just a little tighter. 


	13. Chapter 13

**F**

Gerard tucked me into bed after my long bath, kissing my cheek softly. My fever was finally subsiding and I'd managed to keep all three meals down today. 

“We’re going to Mum’s again tomorrow, yeah?” Gerard smiled, kissing me softly. “Everyone will be out and doing stuff, so we’ll have the house to ourselves most of the time. I'll get to cuddle you and kiss you and rub your stomach the way you like.”

I purred and gently grabbed at his sleeve. “Come sleep with me, Gee. I don't feel hot tonight. I need a cuddle.” 

“Alright. Daddy Gee is on his way.”

I snorted and rolled my eyes, watching as he stripped to his boxers. “You need to stop saying that.”

“Nah..”

He flicked the lights off and climbed into bed with me, brushing a hand over my stomach as I cuddled up to his broad chest happily. “Mm. I think you need a makeover, Gee..”

“How so?” He chuckled, running his fingers through my hair and pecking my lips. 

“Your hair. It's boring.”

“How dare you!”

I giggled and rubbed his chest slowly. “I'm just honest. You should color it. Or leave it natural. Something.”

“I'll think about it..”

Gerard slipped his hand under my shirt, resting his open palm against my stomach.

I leaned up and kissed him deeply, feeling his hand slide lower and gently grabbing his wrist. “N-no..”

He sighed and ran his hand back up slowly. “Not in the mood?”

I pulled a face and sighed. “No, I still feel kinda dizzy and sick. Just not...yeah. In the mood.”

“M’kay. That's fine, baby, it's not a big deal..”

I hummed and ran a fingertip down his side slowly. “I could...I could get you off if you wanted, Geebear..”

He shivered slightly. “God. I'd love that, if you're sure.”

“Mhm. But uh...l-lights on..”

“But we've never-”

“Please,” I said more firmly and he nodded, kissing me softly before getting up and turning the lights on.  

“I'm sorry, Frankie, I'm sorry,” Gerard murmured as he walked back to me, and I smiled at him a little shakily. 

“It's okay. Come lay down again.”

“Maybe we should transition to night lights first, huh?” Gerard joked softly, trying to make me smile more genuinely. I giggled and he slipped back into bed, more at ease. 

I kissed him deeply, running my hand down his stomach slowly, then dipping my fingertips under the waistband and pushing my hand into his boxers. He kissed back a little more passionately, shifting his hips to try and find my hand. I grinned into the kiss and wrapped a hand around his semi, starting to stroke up and down with a nice, steady pace. Gerard broke the kiss to moan softly, ducking his head as he mouthed at my neck, gently nipping. I pushed his chest when he bit me, shuddering. 

“Sorry,” he mumbled against my skin, kissing the spot tenderly before starting to roll his hips in and out of my hand. I swallowed and squeezed his hip lightly. “Gee. Come on, I'll give you a blowjob, yeah?”

Gerard nodded and climbed up, a little breathless as he pushed the pillow down gently, moving me down from the headboard slightly before kneeling over my head, his hands out in front of him against the mattress. “Mm.”

I opened my mouth and gently guided him in, then slapped his hip lightly and he immediately started to fuck my face mercilessly, one hand holding my hair and keeping my head down, the other supporting him as he rolled and thrust his hips, forcing himself into and out of my throat easily. I took it all easily, letting my eyes slip closed and pushing a finger into him to speed things up a little. I found his spot right away and he grunted, cumming in my mouth without warning. “Sorry...sorry, baby.”

I swallowed and slapped his hip again gently, humming as he wiped off and slipped his boxers back on again. He helped me with the pillow and laid down with me, stroking my hair.

“It's okay, Gee,” I grinned, my voice a little cracked. “I like it when you do that to me. You let everything out on me and I feel like you trust me.”

“I trust you anyway,” Gerard murmured, kissing me softly. “But that's really sweet. Come on. You need sleep..” 

~~~

Mikey walked over and sat down next to me on the couch, leaving his backpack near the doorway. “Hey, Frank..”

I smiled at him and bit my lip lightly. “Hi Mikey. How're you feeling?”

He shrugged and ran a hand through his hair. “It's not easy. Pete’s doing his best, but I think he gets frustrated sometimes.”

I nodded slightly and looked up as Gerard walked in, handing me a mug of tea. “You want anything, Mikes?”

He pulled a face and shook his head. “Nah. I'm avoiding coffee for now.”

“Okay. Feeling any better?”

“A little.”

“Good. You okay, Frankie?”

I giggled and nodded quickly. “I'm fine, Gee. Really.”

Gerard leaned over and kissed me softly, stroking my cheek. “Love you.”

“Love you too,” I smiled, gently pushing him away. “You need to finish your work.”

He chuckled and rolled his eyes, walking off. 

“I guess I'm warming up to this,” Mikey hummed, glancing at me. “You guys are cute.”

I bit my lip lightly and shrugged. He sighed softly. 

“Are you excited about the baby?”

I shrugged again, looking down at my stomach. “There's a lot of mixed feelings.”

“Well, Gerard will take care of both of you,” Mikey pointed out, smiling at me. “You don't have to worry about that. When will you start to show?”

I yawned and sighed. “Probably in a few more weeks. I have my other ultrasound the end of November, and I'll get to find out the sex.”

“That's awesome! What are you hoping for?”

I smiled to myself, brushing a hand over my stomach. “A baby boy. I've already had a girl, and I...don't wanna feel like I'm replacing her..”

Mikey kissed the side of my head softly. “You never will be, Frank. Did she have a name?”

I blinked and looked at him. “I...I never thought…”

He smiled sadly and stroked my hair slowly. “You could name her if you wanted, Frankie. We could have like a proper funeral if you wanted.”

My eyes widened and I nodded slightly just as Gerard walked back in, looking at me worriedly. 

“You okay, Frankie?”

Mikey wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer to him. “I suggested he could name the baby girl he had before and we could have a funeral or something...some kind of closure..”

Gerard nodded, crouching down in front of me and rubbing my knees gently. “Would you like that?”

I nodded again, trying unsuccessfully to keep the tears from falling. Gerard stood up quickly and lifted me up easily, holding me against his chest as I buried my face in his shoulder and wrapped my legs around his waist. 

“Oh, baby,” he murmured, rubbing my back slowly. “Don't cry, baby, it's okay. Come on.”

I squeezed him a little tighter and he sat down next to Mikey on the sofa, letting me curl up in his lap. 

“Have a think about it, Frankie. There's no rush, baby. Really.” 

I nodded and curled up tighter, letting my eyes close slowly as Gerard's strong arms wrapped around me tightly. 

~

Gerard gently shook my shoulder, chuckling as I groaned. “You fell asleep, baby...you ready for your birthday party?”

I shrugged and nuzzled the pillow sleepily. Gerard grinned and stroked my hair out of my face, kissing my cheek. “Come on, Frankie. Time to get up, yeah? You've got presents to open and Mum made you a cake...come on..”

I grabbed onto him and he smiled, helping me up carefully. “There we go..”

I slipped my hand into his, lacing our fingers as I followed him to the kitchen sleepily. 

“Hey birthday boy!” Mikey grinned. Mikey, Pete, and Mrs. Way were all sitting around the kitchen table. There were stacks of presents on the table, and balloons around the room. I smiled at Gerard, my fingers tingling a little. I'd never had any kind of party before.

Gerard gently guided me to the seat at the head of the table, between him and Mikey. I sat down and blinked, looking around at everyone. “I've never had a party before,” I mumbled, not knowing what else to say. 

“That's okay,” Mikey smiled, rubbing my arm gently. “All you gotta do is open presents. The ones with the silver paper are for the baby, and the ones with the green paper are for you.”

I glanced at Gerard and he chuckled softly. “You gotta open them, little one.”

I looked down and he frowned immediately, leaning over to rub my back. “What's wrong?

“Wh-what if I open the wr-wrong ones o-or s-some-”

Gerard shook his head slowly as my breath started to get shorter and I began to tremble. “Shh, hey. Frankie, it's okay, shh...do you need a hug in the other room?”

I nodded quickly and he sighed, standing up and helping me out of my chair. I made a break for it, sprinting into the living room and curling up on one of the couches, hugging my knees to my chest and hiding my face. Gerard followed slowly, sitting down next to me and pulling me against him. “Hey, Frankie baby. It's okay, sweetie. It's alright...a party is supposed to be fun, baby, and-”

“And I ruined it,” I moaned softly. He sighed and rubbed my back slowly. “No, no. You haven't ruined anything. Everyone's a little worried about you, that's all. You're scared of doing something wrong, huh?”

I nodded slightly and he stroked my hair slowly. “You can't, Frankie. There's nothing you can do wrong. You just open the presents and say thank you for them and then eat cake. It's that easy.”

“But-”

“There's no wrong way of opening the presents, and there's no wrong way of eating the cake...within reason, I guess.”

I giggled softly and he nuzzled the side of my head gently, rubbing my side. “There it is. That's all people wanna see from you today. That lovely smile.”

I blushed and looked up as I heard footsteps. Mikey and Pete were carrying the presents in, setting them down on the coffee table. Mikey glanced at me and sighed, walking over. 

“It's okay, Frankie,” he murmured, stroking my hair gently. “It's your birthday, we just wanna make you happy.”

I nodded slightly and Gerard pointed to one of the gifts as everyone sat down. “How about that one?”

I picked up the silver-wrapped gift, opening it carefully. It was a set of onesies with cute monsters on them. I smiled brightly, running my fingers over the soft fabric. “Thank you, they're so cute..”

Mikey smiled at me. “You're welcome. I'm glad you like them..”

I opened a couple more presents, mainly baby things like bottles and blankets and clothes. Gerard kept rubbing my back, grinning every time I smiled. I opened one of the presents for me and giggled softly. “A hoodie! Thank you...I like it..” I pulled out the hoodie, admiring the bottle green fabric and the gold design around the seams. 

“Good. I had it made special,” Gerard murmured in my ear, kissing my temple softly. 

Mikey gave me a paint set, and Pete got me the brushes to go with it. Mrs. Way got me some magazine subscriptions. Gerard told me quietly that he had more presents for me, but that he'd give them to me later. 

~

I climbed into bed sleepily and Gerard started to undress, watching me. “You okay?”

“Tired..”

“You can sleep in tomorrow, love. You wanna see your birthday presents?”

I grunted softly and he pulled an envelope out of a drawer. “Here..”

I opened it tiredly, pulling out one of the little pieces of paper and staring at it. It was a hand drawn ‘coupon.’

“I don't get it.”

“They're present coupons. I made ten of them, and you can cash them in for whatever you want. I didn’t really know what you wanted for your birthday, so I thought this would be better. You can pick what you want, then.”

I grinned and nodded slightly, handing the envelope back. “Mm. I like it. Thanks, Gee.”

He smiled and climbed into bed, opening his arms. “Cuddle?”

“Always.”

I snuggled up to him and he hugged me tightly, nuzzling the side of my head as I buried my face in his shoulder comfortably. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are probably gonna want to kill me by the end of chapter 15, and then again after chapter 18...  
> But enjoy the cute fluff while it's here :)


	14. Chapter 14

**F**

There was a knock at the door and I followed Gerard curiously as he went to answer it. He opened the door and froze up slightly. The demon was tall. Very tall, and covered in tattoos. His long black hair reached his shoulders, and he had three lip piercings. He cracked his knuckles and held out a hand, smiling at Gerard. 

“You must be Gerard. I'm Chris.”

Gerard stared at him for a second or two, taking in the scaly red tail and the razor sharp barbed end. I couldn't see any horns, but remembered that some demons filed them down. 

Gerard shook his hand. “What do you want?” He asked quietly, his voice shaking a little. Chris smiled brightly and looked past him to me. “I'd like to talk to your friend.”

Gerard quickly stepped between me and Chris, shaking his head. “Absolutely not.”

Chris's smile started to fade. “Excuse me?”

“I don't know what you've heard or what's going on, but you're  _ not  _ talking to Frank.”

Chris sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “See, I disagree. But I'm going to be nice about it. I tried to buy your friend the last time he was sold, but I didn't have enough money. I don't mean him any harm, and I know he's technically still owned by you. I just want to talk to him. Please?”

Gerard glanced back at me and I shrugged. “Why not?”

Chris stepped past Gerard gracefully, smiling at me as the barb in his tail slid away with a faint noise. I shuddered slightly, but walked him into the living room, Gerard trailing after slowly. I sat down on the couch, Chris taking a seat next to me and smiling at me. I was surprised to see no malice in his eyes. 

“May I have a moment alone?” He asked politely, not taking his eyes off me as Gerard tried to sit down in one of the armchairs. I nodded to Gerard and he sighed, stroking my hair before walking out of the room. 

I looked at Chris warily. “What do you want?”

“Just to talk,” he assured me quietly. “I'm not...a traditional demon. I saw what happened to you when you were with your third master, I saw it when I looked at you standing there, waiting to be sold, and I couldn't stand it.”

He reached out and stroked my cheek with his fingertips, smiling sadly. “I wanted you to come home with me so I could give you a place to feel safe and content. I hated the thought of someone so young going through the loss of a child.”

I leaned back and shrugged. “How do I know you're telling the truth?”

Chris shrugged, smiling again. “I don't know. I assure you I'm not lying, but I suppose you probably don't believe me.”

“I'm not sure,” I muttered quietly, still unsure of why the man sitting so close to me didn't frighten me. 

“Well..” Chris tilted his head slightly. “I wanted you to know I'm still looking out for you. You deserve happiness.” He reached out to touch my stomach, but I pushed his hand away gently. He smiled. 

“Gerard seems to be taking care of you.”

I nodded slightly, biting my lip. “Yes..”

“Good. I should go, but I will see you again sometime.” 

He leaned in and kissed my cheek softly then stood up. “I will be here if you need me, Frank.”

I watched Chris go, frowning as he walked through the living room wall and vanished. Gerard hurried over to me, touching my cheek tenderly. “Did he hurt you?” 

“N-no, I'm fine,” I mumbled, shaking my head. “Confused, but fine.” 

He pulled me into a hug quickly, rubbing my back slowly. “I was listening, I hope that's okay.”

“That's fine. I'm uh..” I gently pushed him away, shaking my head again. “I kinda just wanna get something to eat and forget about it..”

“Okay,” Gerard sighed, sitting down next to me and wrapping his arm around my waist. “What would you like to eat?”

I blinked at him. “Hold on, you looked seriously like...scared when you saw him...why? Do you know him? He knew you..”

“No, no, I don't know him, baby,” he murmured, running his fingers through his hair as he looked away. “It's just...I was worried he'd...I was worried he was sent by someone to hurt me.”

I gulped and stared at him. “Wh-what?”

He smiled sadly and nuzzled my cheek. “Most people don't retire from running drug rings, baby. I don't think anyone is going to find us, I really don't. It was just an immediate reaction. We’ll be fine.” 

I let him stroke my hair, leaning into him slightly. “Are you sure?”

Gerard kissed me softly, cupping my jaw in one hand. “Yeah. I'm sure, don't worry little one. I'm gonna go start making dinner.” 

~~~

Mikey sipped at his water, smiling at me from across the table. The restaurant was busy and it was making me a little jumpy, the noise getting to me a little as I tried to focus on Mikey. 

“So you've decided against the funeral idea?”

I sighed and nodded slightly. “It was a great idea, Mikey, but I've grieved for her and I don't really want to feel like I should grieve again.”

“That's okay. It's just about whatever will make you feel better, y'know?”

I smiled, stroking my swollen stomach lightly. “Yeah, Gerard keeps telling me that too. It's hard, though. Sometimes it's like he sacrifices what he wants for me and-”

“Frankie, that's how relationships work. You make sacrifices and compromises because you love that person,” Mikey interrupted firmly. “Don't ever feel guilty about that.”

“I just feel like I don't do enough for him,” I sighed quietly. “Like he sacrifices stuff for me and I don't for him.”

“Well, currently you're sacrificing your nice slim figure to carry his child,” Mikey pointed out as he leaned back in his chair. “That's pretty good going. But if you're that worried about it, just remember that Gerard really values little gestures, like getting him flowers or getting up early to make him pancakes. It doesn't have to be flamboyant and over the top. Plan a movie night in. Have his favorite takeout waiting for him when he gets home. Whatever you think of, he’ll love it.”

I smiled slightly and nodded. “Okay, if you think that'll work..”

“I'm sure it will,” he grinned, glancing up. “Speak of the devil..”

Gerard leaned over me, squeezing my shoulder lightly as he kissed my cheek. “Ready for your appointment, Frankie?”

I leaned my head back to smile up at him. “Mhm. Only if I get a kiss.”

“When we get there. Do you need me to drop you home, Mikes?”

The younger Way glanced at his watch and shook his head. “Nah. I'm meeting Pete here for lunch in about fifteen minutes, so I'll be okay.”

“Alright. Thanks for keeping Frank busy,” Gerard chuckled, helping me out of my chair.

“Bye Mikey. Thanks for the coffee and chat,” I smiled, waving to him. Gerard walked me out of the cafe slowly, holding my hand tightly. “How do you feel today?”

“I'm okay,” I smiled, bumping my shoulder against his gently. “Didn't sleep so well last night.”

“I'm sorry, baby, I was up studying, and-”

“It's okay,” I cut him off softly, kissing his cheek. “I don't mind. Let's get to this appointment.”

“Mhm. There may be a present in the car,” Gerard chuckled, walking me up to the beaten-up SUV and helping me into the passenger seat. “Look in the glove box..”

I opened it eagerly as Gerard got in behind the wheel, buckling both of our seatbelts. I finally pulled out the little white paper bag, groaning happily as I looked inside. A shortbread biscuit in the shape of a cat, with icing, and from my favorite bakery.

“To make up for last night,” Gerard smiled, stroking my hair behind my ears. “Dark chocolate, just like you love.”

I kissed him quickly, thanking him profusely before biting into the treat with a soft contented noise. Gerard chuckled and started the car, pulling out of the car park.

~

Jen smiled at me brightly, turning the monitor around to face Gerard and I. “You're having a baby boy! See here..” She pointed to the screen and I grinned, glancing at Gerard as he held my hand tightly and stared at the screen in awe. 

“That's our baby, Gee..”

Gerard slowly smiled, then suddenly leaned down and kissed me, rubbing my chest. “I'm so proud of you, Frankie.”

I giggled and gently pushed him away. “You're getting gel on you..”

Jen smiled and shook her head. “I'll print off some pictures. He's a little underweight, so I think you ought to up your calories a little, Frank. Other than that, everything looks great.” 

I grinned, my fingers tingling as she wiped my stomach off and I sat up, grabbing Gerard into a tight hug, digging my nails into his shoulders as I clung to him. “I fucking love you.”

He scooped me up off the bench, chuckling. “Thanks, Jen, I'd better get this one home..”

The doctor handed me an envelope and winked. “Your pictures. I'll see you again soon, guys. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

~

Gerard laid me down on the bed carefully, grinning as he climbed over me, his hips brushing mine as he leaned down to kiss me, both of us a little too eager as our teeth clashed briefly. 

“Mm..” Gerard's fingers slid into my hair as we got the kiss under control, and I felt his hips roll up over mine. 

“F-fuck..”

I gently pushed his chest, gasping as he dove in and nipped at my neck instead. “Gee!”

He sighed and sat up a little, stroking my cheeks with his thumbs. “I just wanna-”

“I know, but I'm hungry and tired and kinda cranky and I’d really rather curl up on the couch and kiss you. You can pick the movie..” 

Gerard squinted at me. “Tempting. Slightly more tempting than jacking off.”

I squealed and slapped his chest, giggling. “So it fucking should be! Asshole.”

He laughed and pulled me into a soft kiss, then slid off me to fall to the bed next to me. I cuddled up to him, nuzzling his jaw. “Gee..?”

“Mhm.”

“I'm hungry.”

“Go make yourself some damn food.”

I giggled and he got up with a soft groan. “Come on. You have to get up too, come give me a hand..”

I nodded, slipping off the bed and grabbing Gerard's hand as he walked out of the room. 

~

When I woke up, Gerard wasn't asleep next to me. I groaned, rolling over and patting the bed before stroking my stomach. I heard footsteps and looked up at Gerard, who grinned and held out a small flat box with a bow tied around it. 

“I'm too tired for this shit, Gee,” I mumbled jokingly. He leaned over and kissed me softly, climbing back into bed with me and rubbing my stomach slowly. “Open it.”

I sighed and took it, glaring at him for a second. “Stop touching my belly, I feel huge.”

Gerard chuckled and shook his head slowly. “Mm. You're not huge, baby. Open the damn box.”

I rolled my eyes and pulled the ends of the bow, smiling as the knot slipped apart and the box fell to the bed. I lifted the lid and pulled out the small blue booklet. “I uh…” I turned it over and opened it up, staring at the little rectangular picture of me. “I don't understand.”

“It's your passport,” Gerard said quietly, stroking my hair back from my face carefully. “Your free person’s passport.”

I stared at him, my hands shaking slightly. “Shut up.”

Gerard grinned and laid down next to me, rubbing my side slowly. “All your paperwork finally went through. You're officially free.”

I let him pull me into a hug, shaking against him as I sniffled. 

Gerard ran his hand up and down my back slowly, soothingly. “Shh. Don't cry, baby, don't cry. I'm so happy for you, Frankie. So happy…”

I buried my face in his hair and just hugged him as tightly as I could, letting the hot tears leak out. 

“Come on, sweetie. I made a dinner reservation, why don't you get up from your lovely nap and get dressed? We have to celebrate!”

I squeezed him briefly before letting go, rubbing my eyes. “Are other people coming..?”

“No, just us, honey,” Gerard hummed, getting up and starting to pull on a pair of jeans. “I wanted to savor the moment with you.”

~

The restaurant was a little fancier than Gerard and I were used to, but it wasn't overly intimidating. The menu was in english and there were white tablecloths on all the tables. 

Gerard leaned across and took my hand gently, catching my attention as I looked back to him. “You okay, little one?”

I shrugged slightly and smiled at him. “I think so. It's just the baby bump...still feels weird to be out in public with it.”

He squeezed my hand lightly. “I think you look amazing, Frankie. You don't look fat, you look pregnant. Okay?”

I nodded and stifled a yawn, looking down at the menu. “What're you gonna have?”

“Well the pizzas here are really good..”

“Mm, tempting. But they have fancy mac n cheese.”

Gerard chuckled and let go of my hand as the waiter came over for our drinks order. Gee asked for a coke, then looked to me expectantly. My throat closed up and I turned away, suddenly struggling to breathe correctly as my hands shook. 

“He'd like a Sprite, please,” Gerard said softly, and the waiter hurried off. 

“Everything okay, baby?”

I took deep breaths slowly, managing to calm myself down. “I th-think so..”

He smiled sadly and rubbed my ankle with his under the table. “Don't be scared, Frankie. I'm here and I'm here to protect you.”

I sniffed and ran a hand through my hair, still unable to look at him. “I just...I don't know.”

“You had a panic moment. That's okay, sweetie,” Gerard soothed, smiling at me lovingly. “We’re still working on all this. We’ll get there.”

I nodded just slightly, forcing myself to look my partner in the eye. He stood up and leaned across the table, kissing me softly and briefly before sitting back down far too soon. 

“It's okay. You want me to order your food for you?”

“If you wouldn't mind..”

“Of course not. You wanted the mac and cheese, and I was gonna get a pizza so maybe you could have a slice. Sound good?”

I leaned back in my chair, gently tapping the toe of my foot against his shin. “Perfect.” 

When the waiter came back, Gerard ordered for both of us and I managed to smile at the stranger with the apron without having a panic attack. Gerard grinned at me as he walked off. “Proud of you.” 

I shrugged and smiled at him. “We gotta think about names..”

He sighed and tucked his hair behind his ears. “Yes we do, but does it have to be right now? You kinda put me on the spot..”

I looked away and he groaned. “Baby, I didn't mean it like that. I just...I wanna do it properly and it doesn't feel right right now.”

“It never does,” I mumbled, getting up quickly. Gerard's chair scraped back and I shot him a brief glare. “I'm gonna go fucking pee, is that okay with you?” 

He sat back down, burying his face in his hands as I stalked off to the bathroom. 

I washed my face in the sink and rubbed my eyes a little, then lifted up my shirt slightly. My mantle had almost reached my hips now, stretching over the skin on my belly. I poked the bump lightly and sighed. Gerard was trying his best, but it wasn't always enough or right. 

I knew I was more irritable than usual, but knowing that just made me more angry, and guilty. 

I walked back to the table, kissing Gerard's cheek before sitting back down across from him. 

“I'm sorry, Gee. All these hormones and shit, and-”

“It's okay. It's forgiven, sweetie. Just...I love you..”

I smiled at him sadly, shaking my head a little. “I love you too.”

“Mikey wants to come over tomorrow,” Gerard hummed, leaning back in his chair slightly. 

“What for?” I yawned, rubbing the bridge of my nose. 

“Presumably to ogle your baby bump. He Ioves it.”

I giggled and nodded. “Very true. He's supposed to be studying.”

“I know,” Gerard shrugged. “But you can't make him do anything. Pete says he's been having some more issues lately, he's skipped some meals and then cried a lot when Pete confronted him.”

“Fuck,” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “Is he okay?”

“I think so. He's just...got a bumpy road ahead. It happens.” 

I looked up as the waiter set our plates down, thanking him almost too softly to hear. 

Gerard and I ate quietly, neither of us liking to make conversation over food. 

~~~

I crawled into bed, flopping down next to Gerard. He grinned at me and kissed his fingers before pressing them against my belly gently. “Love ya.”

I kissed him softly, stroking his cheek and groaning as he pulled away. “I hate being so fat. I feel like a whale.”

“You're at three and a half months, baby. Over halfway there.”

“My back hurts and I practically waddle everywhere,” I snapped, rolling my eyes. Gerard smiled softly and kissed me again. “I can give you a back rub if you want, little one.”

I closed my eyes for a second, then smiled up at my mate. “I wanna feel sexy again.”

He purred and kissed me a little harder, his hands running over my sides and chest. “Fuck yes..”

Gerard pulled my boxers off quickly, then shed his, gently rolling me onto my stomach. “Hands and knees, honey.”

I nodded slightly, changing position as I was told and rocking back a couple times. “Mm. Gee..”

He knelt behind me, spreading my cheeks and purring quietly before diving in, pushing his whole tongue into me. I cried out softly and rocked back quickly, tightening up a little as Gerard grabbed one of my hands and guided it to his cock. “Mm. Come on..”

He wrapped a hand around me and started to pump me slowly, moving back and slipping a finger into me instead. He hummed softly as he started to rub my prostate, leaning down again to kiss and nip at my balls. I pushed back against his finger, whining softly and shuddering slightly. 

“Cum for me, little one.”

I arched my back and squealed as I did as I was told, feeling Gerard catch most of it in his hand. 

“Stay there a second, beautiful..”

He buried off, coming back a couple seconds later with a clean hand and a damp rag. My arms were shaking as I tried to stay up, but as soon as Gerard walked in, I collapsed. He caught me carefully, lowering me to the mattress slowly. “That's it. So proud of you, Frankie..”

I panted a little, stroking over my stomach as I tried to catch my breath. “You didn't cum.”

Gerard shrugged and kissed my belly. “That's okay, I-”

“But I wanna feel sexy,” I whined softly. “Like touching me and kissing me and looking at me naked turns you on..”

Gerard sighed and stroked my hair slowly. “Frankie, I still find you very sexy, but at the same time, when I look at you, I see a mother and his baby, not...I see more something to be protected and cherished than pinned down and fucked..”

I sniffed and he leaned over, kissing me softly. “Get back up on your hands and knees..”

I climbed up again, feeling one of Gerard's hands on my thigh as he stroked up and down slowly, standing up on his knees. He grabbed the lube, spreading some over his fingers before pressing one into me again, moaning softly as he watched the stretch. “Oh Frankie, you look so pretty when you're all full with my fingers..”

I smiled a little, feeling my cock twitch as he added two more fingers quickly, stroking himself as I whined. 

“That's it, Frankie. Take me..”

Gerard slowly added one more finger and began to push further in. I whined, rocking back slightly as I felt his thumb push into me as well. 

“Have you done this before, Frankie?” Gerard purred softly. I nodded slightly, gasping as he curled his fingers into a fist inside of me. “I'm not surprised. Ah..” He was close now, I could tell by the sound of his voice, so I rocked back and took him in past his wrist, grinning to myself as he whined and came all over my back, pulling his hand out of me and shoving his cock in instead as the last few sticky ropes shot out of him. 

“Fuuuck..”

I felt him pull out and clean me up, then lower me to the bed again carefully. “I'll be right back.”

I yawned as Gerard climbed into bed again, gently pulling me closer to him. “I love you..”

I nuzzled his jaw and put a hand on my stomach. “I love you too..”

Gerard put his hand next to mine and grinned. “Was that a kick?”

I kissed him and nodded slightly, rolling over so my back was to him. He put his leg in between my knees and wrapped an arm around me to hold me up. “Get some sleep, sexy. I'll see you in the morning before I go.”

I nuzzled the pillow and closed my eyes as Gerard stroked up and down my swollen belly slowly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to let you guys know that I'm at pony club camp from the 24th-28th and I'm not allowed to take my phone, so I won't be able to update or write. I'll try and have enough ready before I go to give you guys something to read as soon as I get back.   
> Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this one, let me know what you think! <3


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys so this is going to be a really heavy chapter, if you're not sure about reading it, just let me know. I don't think you can send PMs on this site?? Idk I'm still new, but leave a comment on chapter 14 or something. There is a minor character death.

**F**

I was in the shower when I felt the first contraction of my pregnancy. I grabbed onto the handrail, groaning softly as I felt the squeeze. “Ohhh fuck..”

Gerard opened the bathroom door and pulled the curtain back slightly. “You okay in there?”

“Contraction..” 

He offered me his hand, smiling worriedly. “Come on. You shouldn't be in there if you're having contractions.”

I took his hand quickly, letting him help me out. He sat me down on the stool and helped me dry off slowly. My belly was huge now, and I could barely sleep or stand for any decent periods of time. 

Gerard wrapped the towel around me and helped me up, half carrying me to the living room and sitting me down gently. “There we go. I'll go get your clothes, Frankie. Mikey and Pete will be here soon.”

I groaned softly and let my head roll back. “I'm so tired.”

“I know, baby, but we gotta be good hosts..” He leaned over and kissed me softly. I pulled away and gritted my teeth as I felt another squeeze, this one harder. “Gee...Gee, this doesn't feel right,” I groaned, grabbing onto the couch cushions. His eyebrows knitted together and he crouched down, rubbing my thigh. “What's going on?”

“It's getting worse..”

“Let me go get your pajamas..”

Gerard ran off, coming back with my favorite set of pajamas, helping me into them carefully. He sat down on the couch, his back against the arm and his legs spread as he gently pulled me so I was half laying down, my back against his stomach. “That's it. Grab onto me if you need.”

I clung to him gently, my heart pounding as I waited for the next one. 

“Ahh..ohh fuck..” I rolled my head back and Gerard winced, stroking my hair and kissing my forehead. “Oh baby, I hate seeing you in pain..” 

I lay there limp for about two minutes, then groaned again. Gerard shook his head and gently pushed me off him, standing up quickly. “We’re going to the hospital. Stay there..”

He rushed off and came back with my boots and coat. He helped me lace the boots, then left me to it with the coat as he ran off to get his. He then hurried back to me and helped me up, wrapping his arm around me as he walked me outside, the snow crunching under my feet as we stepped onto the driveway. Gerard helped me into the car, rubbing my back slowly. “That's it. There ya go..”

As soon as I sat down, I felt another one, panting softly and closing my eyes as the squeeze got worse until finally passing. 

Gerard started the car and pulled out onto the road. He called Mikey as he drove, one hand on my thigh. 

“Hey, Mikes, we got a problem with you coming over. I think Frank's in labor.”

“What? It's like...a month early..is he okay?”

“Yeah, I think we’re doing okay. He's in a lot of pain, but we’ll be okay.”

“Okay. Are you on your way to the hospital?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. We’ll call Mum and meet you there.”

I gasped again and groaned as Gerard hung up, squeezing my thigh gently. “Shh, Frankie. It's okay. I've got you..”

 

It didn't take long to get to the hospital, and as soon as we walked through the doors, I was directed to a room. I laid down in the bed and shook slightly, holding onto Gerard's hand ridiculously tightly. 

“It's alright, baby,” he soothed, but looked frantic himself, his eyes wide and worried. 

“Fuuuck..”

A doctor hurried in, followed by two nurses. “Hello, Frank,” he smiled, pulling a stool up to the bedside. “You're doing very well. I just need to time your contractions, okay?”

I trembled as I watched the nurses setting up the screen between me and my stomach, and Gerard started to kiss my hand, rubbing my wrist. 

“Ahh…oh God..”

The doctor clicked a button on his stopwatch, smiling at me. “You're gonna be just fine, Frank. Your baby will be just fine being born early, and it'll all be over soon..”

I groaned again, squeezing Gerard's hand harshly and rolling my head back. “Fuuuck..”

The doctor nodded slightly. “Your contractions are already very close together, so we’re going to get started.”

I saw him grab a needle and Gerard winced, looking away quickly and instead kissing my forehead. I felt a pinch, then numbness. I tried to relax, but I knew what they were about to do and I couldn't shake the memory of the pain from last time. Gerard leaned over me, capturing all of my attention as he kissed me, his hands cupping my jaw. “Shh,” he murmured against my lips. “It's okay. I'm here. I've got you..”

I managed a tiny smile, feeling a slight tugging at my belly. The doctor frowned and Gerard quickly got in front of me again, kissing me softly. 

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the doctor and one of the nurses hurry off with a bundle and cried out, trying to get up. Gerard held me down gently, wincing and rubbing my chest. “Hey hey...it's alright, Frankie. Frankie..”

The nurse looked up from stitching me up and frowned. Gerard glanced at her. “What's going on?”

Her eyes widened and she sighed. “The baby wasn't breathing..”

I froze up, staring at nothing as I started to tremble. Gerard closed his eyes slowly, kissing my hand softly.

The nurse took the screen down and pulled the sheets over me, hurrying off. After about a minute, the door clicked and Mikey stuck his head in. “Uh..”

Gerard looked up at him, shaking slightly. Mikey went white and slipped in, shutting the door behind him firmly. He walked over slowly and started to rub my arm gently, kissing my forehead. 

“What's going on..?”

“The baby wasn't breathing,” Gerard mumbled, his voice hoarse and shaky. I kept staring at nothing, my mind blank. Gerard let go of my hand and leaned over, pulling me into a hug. I buried my face in his neck and the sobs suddenly took over. 

~

I couldn't stop crying. 

The doctor had come back in and given me my baby, and I'd held him, stroking his cold cheek and screaming at everything. Gerard had tried not to cry, but the tears had fallen anyway. 

I was laying in the hard bed, trembling as Gerard just sat there, stroking up and down my side slowly. 

“We need to name him.”

I nodded slightly, but didn't say anything.

“We'd decided on Finn, right?”

I nodded again and Gerard kissed the side of my head. “I'll g-go get the paperwork done.”

Mikey took his place silently, rubbing my back gently. I tried to bat his hand away, but he ignored me, saying nothing. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Gerard hugging his mother. I slapped Mikey's hand more definitely and he sighed, sitting back a bit as I curled up tighter. 

Gerard came back a few minutes later and had a short, hushed conversation with Mikey that I couldn't be bothered to listen to. 

My partner sat down on the edge of the bed, sniffing as he squeezed my arm gently. “We’re taking you home tomorrow, Frankie. It's gonna be okay..”

I heard the door click and the doctor walked in, over to Gerard.

“Can I speak to you?”

He nodded and rubbed my hip slowly. “Yeah...I’ll be right back, Frankie.”

Gerard was back in about five minutes, sitting down on the bed again and trying to take one of my hands, but I pulled them away quickly. 

“Frankie, the doctor says there was a complication that was linked to the bad c section you had last time...he said he can fix it so you could carry again, if you wa-”

“Fuck off.”

Gerard was silent for a couple seconds, then got up abruptly and I heard the door click as he left the room. I lay there on my own for a while, staring at the white wall in front of me. The tears wouldn't stop, but all feeling had drained from me about fifteen minutes ago. I stared at nothing, my fingers trembling. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry about this, but I did change the plot a little to make it a happier ending. It will get worse, but I promise it'll also get better :)


	16. Chapter 16

**G**

I carried Frank inside, his face buried in my chest as I pushed the bedroom door open. “Come on, baby,” I murmured, laying him down as carefully as I could. “That's it.”

He rolled over to face away from me immediately and I sighed, stroking down his side. He wanted to be alone, but I wanted nothing more than to be with him. I hadn't slept the night before, too busy worrying about Frank and crying. 

He was extremely pissy, snapping at anyone who came near him, but I knew it would pass soon. I touched his hip gently, jerking my hand away before he could slap it. I sighed and turned the tv on on a low volume to keep him company, then went downstairs. Mikey was handling the funeral arrangements for us, knowing that I was barely capable of doing anything on my own at that moment. 

I wandered into the kitchen, starting to make coffee robotically. My phone buzzed and I tugged it out, answering it on speaker. “Hello?”

“Hi, Gee,” Mum said softly. “How's it going?”

“He won't speak to me. He won't let me touch him,” I said flatly, pouring the coffee grounds into the filter. “I just...I n-need him,” I mumbled, my voice cracking as I accidentally spilled coffee on the counter. 

“I know, honey,” she sighed. “He's just processing. He’ll need you soon enough.”

“I just lost my son..” I whispered, dropping the coffee bag and burying my face in my hands. 

“There is a life for you on the other side of this, Gerard. I promise.”

I heard a thud from upstairs and sighed. “I gotta go.”

I hung up and hurried up to the bedroom. Frank was on his hands and knees in the middle of the floor, the desk pulled over in the corner. I took a deep breath and went over to him, trying to help him up and getting a set of teeth marks in my hand instead. 

I sighed and just crouched down near him, watching him shake. It was almost as if the pain radiated off him, tangible in the air around him. He lifted his head and stared at me, his green eyes dull and full of tears. “Am I a bad person?” He whispered, one tear escaping and sliding down his cheek. 

I shook my head slowly, sniffling. “No, baby. You're a beautiful person, inside and out. You just...have really bad luck..”

Frank's face twisted in a mix of rage and despair and I sighed, opening my arms. “I'm here, Frank. I'm here for you..”

He shuffled to me, burying his face in my shoulder as I wrapped my arms around him carefully. “That's it. I've got you. How about we get you back in bed? I'll get you a nice cold glass of water.”

“Vodka would be better.”

I helped Frank up and walked him back to the bed, sitting him down and swinging his legs in for him. “There we go..” I pulled the blankets over him, kissing his forehead. “You want me to put the fireplace on?” 

Frank nodded, so I flicked the switch and watched him turn so he could see it. “I'll go get that water, honey.” 

When I got back with the water, Frank had fallen asleep, so I just laid down next to him, one hand on his thigh. 

~

I woke up to soft sobbing and quickly wrapped my arms around him, careful of his sore stomach. Frank surprised me by rolling over to face me, nuzzling my chest and hugging me tightly. “Gee..” He whimpered, his voice rough and wobbly. 

“I'm here,” I whispered, kissing his hair and cheek. “I'm here, Frankie. I love you so so much..”

“I'm scared..”

I stroked his hair slowly, pulling him a little closer to me. “What of?”

“I'm scared I might never be happy.”

I sighed and kissed his forehead, shaking my head slowly. “We will both be happy someday, Frankie. There's a life for both of us on the other side of this pain, we just gotta get there. We’re gonna do this together.”

Frank grabbed onto me a little tighter, his short little fingers curling against my bare back. “I can't..”

“You can, sweetie. We can..”

I stroked his hair slowly over and over as he cried softly, his tiny body pressed against mine. 

“Wh-what's happened with the funeral?”

I ran my fingertips down his spine soothingly. “Mikey's doing it all for us. He says it'll probably be Friday, and he wants you to pick out some flowers. Would you be up to that?”

Frank nodded slightly and I kissed his forehead. “Alright. Lemme go get my phone and I'll get him to come over and have a look with us, yeah?”

He nodded again and I got up carefully, pecking his lips. “You're so strong, baby. I'm proud of you.”

~

Mikey sat down on the edge of the bed, as Frank refused to move. I helped him sit up and took the spot next to him, wrapping an arm around him as he leaned on me shakily. Mikey smiled sadly and handed me a booklet. “These are all the arrangements the florist can do that aren't custom. She says she’ll adjust any of them free of charge, though, if you wanna tweak them. There's a big spray for the coffin and a wreath for the grave..”

Frank's face collapsed and I nuzzled his cheek before he could start to cry. “Shhh. Shh, baby. I'm here..”

I gave him the booklet and he sniffed, trembling still. Mikey smiled sadly. “What colors are you thinking, Frankie?”

I watched Frank as he tried not to cry. “Wh-white.”

Mikey nodded and produced another booklet. “See anything you like for the flowers?”

“Roses...and c-carnations...that's all I w-want. G-Gee can pick some..”

Frank handed the booklet back to me and I squeezed him gently. “Okay. How about I draw up an idea, Frankie? With roses and carnations in white?”

He nodded, looking away. I sniffed and rubbed my eyes, taking a deep breath as I looked at Mikey. “We’ll send you a sketch soon.”

Mikey swapped the flower booklet for a casket one. “There's a lot of options,” he mumbled, running a hand through his hair. “We can even do white with silver?”

“Green with gold,” Frank said immediately. “Family colors.”

I nodded and rubbed his side gently. “Sounds good, baby. Like a nice green though. Rich.”

Mikey sighed and nodded. “It'll probably be custom..”

“That's okay. Money doesn't really matter,” I muttered, looking at Frank and sighing as I realized he'd frozen again. I kissed his cheek and nuzzled his jaw, pulling him closer to me. “I've got you, baby. I'm here..”

Mikey put the booklets away and took a deep breath. “We can dress him if you'd like, Frankie.”

I nodded quickly and Frank seemed to wake up, smiling faintly. “Please.”

“We need something that will fit..”

I jumped in quickly. “Frank and I will find something. We’ll go to the store..”

Mikey nodded, running a hand through his hair. “I'll do the music and the other flowers and everything, yeah? So you guys don't have to worry.”

I smiled sadly and rubbed Frank’s back slowly. “Sounds good. Thanks Mikey.”

~~~

I held Frank's hand tightly as we walked through the store, scared he'd wander off. He seemed half dead, dragging his feet and not looking at anyone or anything. I led him into the baby aisle and it felt as if my lungs collapsed. Frank grabbed onto me gently and I looked down, the tears welling up in his eyes mirroring mine. 

“Fuck..this is hard..” I mumbled, rubbing my eyes and looking around. I found the newborn clothes and gently pulled Frank over to them, sniffling myself. He picked up one set of tiny onesies and completely lost it, burying his face in my chest and hugging me tightly. I put them back carefully, rubbing his shoulders soothingly as I looked through the choices. I found one with a little felt bow tie and buttons in a pretty baby blue and white color. “Frankie..”

He lifted his head just long enough to look at it and nod, then started to sob again, digging his nails into my back through my shirt. A woman came down the aisle with a cart, glaring at me. “Faggots,” she muttered as she grabbed a pack of diapers. “Disgusting.”

Rage suddenly boiled in me and I gritted my teeth, pulling away from Frank and taking a step towards her. “Excuse me, but we just lost our second child and I don't give a fuck what you think about our sexuality, but I'd like you to leave because you're upsetting him.”

She stared at me, then shook her head. “You lost those children. Not me.”

My nostrils flared and I felt Frank's little hands tugging at my arm. “My partner was in slavery when he was forced to have his first child. His baby's throat was cut in front of him. Now he's had a stillborn and you wanna tell me it's our fucking fault? You're a fucking cunt and I hope you burn in a special kind of hell.”

I grabbed Frank's hand and gently pulled him after me as I marched out of the aisle, slowing down as soon as we’d put some distance between us and her. Frank was shaking again, so I pulled him into a tight hug, rubbing his back slowly. “Shh. Shhh...it's okay. I've got you. It's not your fault, Frankie, none of this is your fault. You're not a bad person, you're an amazing person and you don't deserve any of this. Come on. Let's go pay and get the fuck outta here, yeah?”

~~~

I helped Frank with his tie, pulling him into a soft kiss. “I love you, little one.”

“I love you too.”

I hugged him tightly and stroked his hair as he slipped his thin arms around me. “It's only gonna be me, you, Mikey, and Mum, yeah? You don't have to be embarrassed or scared or anything. They'll understand.”

Frank nodded slightly, sniffling. “I can't stop crying..”

“I know. The car’s waiting, sweetie. Let's go, yeah?”

I held Frank's hand as tightly as I could, our fingers laced together as I led him out to the hearse. I felt him start to shake and blinked away my own tears. The casket was far too small for the hearse, but the flowers were beautiful. I pulled Frank into a hug, rubbing his back as he shook. “Come on. Let's do this, baby..”

I walked him to the limo, getting in and pulling him in after me. Mikey and Mum were sitting in the back, and smiled sadly when I glanced over my shoulder. The hearse pulled away and Frank unbuckled his seatbelt, sliding into the middle seat and burying his face in my chest. I wrapped an arm around him, rocking him slowly. 

 

The ceremony was short and it was raining when we left the church to put the casket in the ground. Frank had been very brave, crying softly throughout, but seeking comfort from me consistently. 

Now he was sobbing as they lowered the casket, and I pulled him into another tight hug, burying my face in his hair as I tried not to cry myself. Mikey was shaking, and Mum was trying to calm him down. Frank threw some petals down into the hole and then wandered off, burying his face in his hands a few paces away. I left him to it for a while, watching them fill the hole in while tears ran down my cheeks. 

Frank walked up to me about ten minutes later, touching my back lightly. I smiled at him sadly and dried my face. “You ready to go home?” 

Frank nodded, grabbing onto my hand tightly and digging his nails in. “I feel better..”

I ran a hand through my hair slowly. “I do a little bit, too. It's uh...that little bit of closure, I guess..”

He smiled weakly and I wrapped an arm around him again, helping him back to the car. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My poor babies <3  
> They'll be okay in like chapter 20 :)


	17. Chapter 17

**F**

_ I could hear crying, desperate, hungry crying. I ran into the nursery, leaning over the empty crib. Gerard was laying face down on the floor in a pool of blood, still soaking into the carpet. I screamed and the crying got louder as I started to scratch at the walls, just trying to find my baby boy.  _

 

Gerard was asleep next to me, his breathing soft and even and his face only a little troubled. I shook his shoulders, barely feeling the tears as they poured down my cheeks. Gerard woke with a quiet grunt and blinked at me sleepily before opening his arms. I snuggled up to him, grabbing onto him gently but firmly. He rubbed my back slowly as I trembled, feeling small and weak against his broad chest. 

“It's okay, Frankie,” he soothed, nuzzling the side of my head. “Shh. I'm here. It was just a bad dream..”

“I'm so weak..” I muttered. Gerard tensed, kissing my cheek. 

“What do you mean, beautiful?”

“It's been over a month..”

“Frankie, grief is...it's different for everyone. You don't have to be over anything yet, sweetie. It's not...no one looks down on you because you're sad. We all understand,” he murmured, stroking my cheek slowly and smiling at me a little sadly. “And nightmares are nightmares. They come and go.”

I sighed and just pressed myself closer to him, shivering slightly. 

“You cold?”

“A little..”

Gerard sat up enough to grab another blanket from the foot of the bed, drawing it over us. “Better?”

I nodded and sniffed, rubbing my eyes. “Gee.”

“Mhm?”

“Can we try having sex? Please..?”

He blinked and sighed, brushing my hair out of my eyes with delicate, gentle fingers. “Frankie...I'm not so sure about that. Are you sure you want to? I mean..”

I nodded again and kissed him softly. “Please. Please, Gee..”

“What happens if it doesn't solve anything?” Gerard pointed out softly. “You'll be so upset.”

“I don't care.” 

“Fine, then let's have sex.”

 

It was dull.

Neither of us came, giving up halfway through instead. I could barely feel the pleasure, and Gerard could never enjoy it if I wasn't. I got out of bed moodily and stalked into the bathroom, starting to run myself a bath. I had already lost all of my baby weight, through complete loss of appetite and the stress of trying to live life normally. I sighed and climbed into the tub, the water just a little too hot. 

I looked up as Gerard slipped in, smiling at me. “May I join?”

“Free country.”

He leaned over and kissed me softly, stroking my hair slowly. “I love you, you know. So much.”

I scooted forward so he could slip in behind me, leaning back against his chest as he wrapped his arms around my waist. “I love you too.”

Gerard purred and kissed my neck lightly. “It's a bit hot in here, baby.”

“That's the point,” I muttered, but turned the hot tap down slightly. Gerard rubbed my hips slowly. 

“I have to go back to school tomorrow. Are you gonna be okay? It's just a half day.”

I sighed and leaned my head back against his shoulder. “Not like I have a choice. I'm not gonna kill myself if that's what you're worried about.”

Gerard brushed the backs of his fingers down my cheek. “It's not what I'm worried about,” he said, a little sharply. “I'm worried about you being lonely and upset on your own.”

I rolled my head to the side, nuzzling his neck. “I'll be okay. Just a half day.”

“Okay.”

Silence fell for a while, and I just relaxed in his arms, taking deep, slow breaths. He held me gently, his arms around me and his breath flicking over my cheek. 

It felt right and I was reminded that I had been pregnant for a reason. Gerard was my mate, my perfect person, and I had been blind to that for over a month. He'd been my rock, but I hadn't just sat there and basked in his gentle kindness or just kissed him for the sake of it. I had been in my own little bubble. 

I reached up and kissed his cheek, taking him by surprise slightly. “I love you, Gee.”

He grinned and pulled me closer, kissing my jaw lightly. “I love you too, Frankie. You're everything to me, y'know...I dunno where I'd be without you.”

“Not grieving,” I pointed out and he rolled his eyes. “That's temporary, baby.”

“Doesn't feel like it.”

“I know, but it is. I promise. Y'know my dad died shortly after he left us...it was a freak accident where he worked...I was in a really bad place then, and it didn't help with the drugs. That's why um...I've been really strict about no alcohol. If I have it in the house while I'm this...bad, I know I’ll relapse..”

I turned in his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him deeply. “You're my hero, Gee. I'm proud of you for staying clean.”

“And I'm proud of you for handling this with me. We're not doing too badly, all things considered.”

I smiled, but sniffed a little as I curled up against his chest, holding his hands tightly in mine. “I love you..”

“I love you more.”

“I love you most.”

“Rude.”

I kissed him again softly, then laid my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes. 

~

I woke up in bed, a note taped to Gerard's pillow next to me. 

_ Hey beautiful. Couldn't bear to wake you after you had so much trouble sleeping. I headed out early, and there's lunch in the fridge for you. I'll be back around two ish and I'll bring you a treat.  _

_ Love, Gee _

I smiled to myself and grabbed my laptop, walking into the living room slowly. I curled up in my usual spot against the arm and turned the tv on, humming as I opened my laptop and waited for it to start up. My phone buzzed suddenly and I answered the call without looking. 

“Hey baby. I'm on a break.”

I felt my shoulders drop and closed my eyes as I leaned back against the cushions. “Hiya.”

He chuckled softly and there was a short pause. “My professor was asking about why I've been away, and he said to tell you he's sorry.”

“Oh. Well, thanks I guess?”

“I know, he's a little weird. He's nice, though. I think he has kids.”

I didn't say anything, rubbing my eyes lightly. 

“What’s up, anyway?” Gerard asked, breaking the silence softly. 

“I just got up..”

“Good. Lots of sleep. And not too long until I get home, yeah? Are you watching tv?”

“Not really. I was gonna do some retail therapy.”

Gerard laughed quietly. “Mhm. That's my Frankie. What were you gonna look for?”

I looked down at my lap. “Secret stuff.”

“Ooh. Okay. You know I still get all the receipts cause you're using my card, right?”

“Yeah, but don't look.”

“Okay, I won't, baby. Promise.”

He sighed as the conversation paused again. “Did you not wanna talk, Frankie? I can go if..”

“No, it's okay. I just wish you were here,” I mumbled, opening my web browser and going to Amazon. “I don't like talking to you when I can't touch you. Makes me more lonely.”

“Oh. Sorry, baby, I thought-”

“I know. It's uh..” I lost my train of thought as Amazon loaded and the homepage popped up with suggestions of things to look at, like cribs, baby clothes, and sippy cups. I clicked away from the page quickly, my fingers trembling a little. 

“Baby? You okay?”

“I g-guess. Um. It's fine, Gee. I do like talking to you on the phone. Just...be home soon, yeah?”

“I've got one more class and then I'm all yours, honey.”

“Good..” I rubbed my eyes, taking a shaky breath. 

“You sound upset, what's going on?”

“Amazon had baby stuff all over it,” I mumbled, feeling pathetic. 

“Oh. I need to delete my history, cause I did that the other day.”

“I feel like an idiot..” I sniffed, and Gerard shushed me quickly. 

“I cried over that the other day, honey. Don't worry. You're not an idiot and you're not weak, you're just going through a really rough time. We’re gonna be okay someday, Frankie..”

I sniffed again and sighed quietly. “I love you.”

“I love you too, sweetie. I'm gonna give you a nice cuddle when I get home, okay? And we can watch a movie and snuggle all afternoon.”

I managed a tiny smile and nodded slightly. “Yeah. Okay..”

“I really gotta go, but I'll let you know when I'm on my way home, okay? Be good.”

“Mhm. Bye.”

“Bye bye, Frankie.”

Gerard hung up and I sighed, taking a deep breath as I started to look through gift ideas. I never knew what to get for him, but he seemed to appreciate it anyway. I sighed as I scrolled through men’s jewelry. Gerard didn't wear any. 

I ignored the clothes section, as I always got him funny t shirts when I felt like giving him things.

I clicked on the book section instead, humming to myself as I tapped the link to cookbooks. Gerard loved cooking for me, but he wasn't very good at it. 

I eventually found a couple I liked and ordered them, then put my laptop away and wandered into the kitchen, taking out the lunch Gerard had made for me. I ate it quietly, watching reruns of cartoons and trying to ignore the thought that I would have watched them with our baby one day. 

I eventually switched channels. 

~

Just as I finished eating, I got a text from Gerard. 

**On my way home, beautiful. Love you.**

I didn't text back, stretching instead and getting up to clean the kitchen. I washed up the pans and loaded the dishwasher, then wiped down the sides. I was heading back to the living room when there was a knock at the front door. I smiled slightly and hurried down the hall, opening the door wide. 

“Gee?”

“That wasn't my name, last time I checked.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So who do you guys think it might be?   
> I don't think this story is going to be as long as some of my others, btw. I've gotten up to chapter 20 and I'm running out of ideas/plot points and I don't want to write something I don't enjoy. However, I might be able to pick it up later for a sequel, so...  
> Anyway, let me know what you thought! :)


	18. Chapter 18

**G**

I got out of the car, shutting the door behind me and pressing the lock button. I started up the path, swinging my keys and sighing as the door swung open without me having to unlock it. 

“Baby? You gotta lock the-”

I blinked as I stepped into the living room. The furniture had been thrown around everywhere, shredded paper on the carpet along with books that had been ripped apart. 

“Frank?”

I slipped into the kitchen, finding a similar scene of carnage, but with more broken glass and pottery. “Fuck..”

Something buzzed and I crouched down, picking up Frank's phone carefully. The screen was cracked, but I could just make out the texts on the screen. 

**On my way home, beautiful. Love you.**

**Stuck in traffic, I'll be a little late. Miss you.**

“Shit..”

I dropped it and bolted upstairs, slamming open doors and screaming his name. When I couldn't find him, I ran back down and froze when I saw the downstairs bathroom door. It had been kicked in, the lock broken. I slipped inside, wincing as the shards of mirror cracked under my boot. There was blood smeared on the wall, near the doorframe. I almost collapsed. 

~

Mikey rubbed my shoulder slowly, glancing at Pete. “Anything?”

He shook his head, stretching. “No, the trail went dead a couple miles down the road, the rain washed everything away. The police are still out looking, though. They have more werewolves with them, they'll find him, Gee. And they're looking at his old masters like you said..”

“I can't...I can't lose him too..” I mumbled vacantly, shaking slightly. Mikey hugged me tightly, rubbing my back. 

“Don't think like that, Gee. We’re gonna find him and he's gonna be okay.”

I buried my face in my hands, trembling as Mikey tried to calm me down. Pete sighed and stood up. “Come on. Gerard, come help me clean up. We’re gonna get this place tidy again, okay?”

“But-” Mikey tried to protest, but Pete grabbed my arm gently. 

“We need to keep busy. All of us. It'll help.”

I managed a nod and got up shakily, letting Pete lead me into the kitchen. 

~

I put the last bag of trash outside the front door, sighing to myself. A lot of my university books had been wrecked, and most of the dishes had been smashed, but the damage wasn't overly bad. I'd have to fix the downstairs door, but we'd gotten the blood off the wall and the mirror shards out. The upstairs hadn't been touched, but I'd tidied up both of our rooms anyway, not sure what else to do. 

I saw a police car pull into the drive and blinked, calling Mikey over. He frowned, watching as the car parked. I didn't bother with shoes, walking down the steps and onto the drive. The doors opened and two officers stepped out, one of them hurrying over to me. “We've found him.”

My knees went weak and I tried to push past the policeman, but he held me back gently. “He's not in good shape, I'm afraid. We also need to talk to you about some things..”

I frowned and tried to wriggle away as I saw the other policeman lift Frank out of the backseat. “What things?”

“You're not a suspect, sir, don't worry. We’re just confused about who to arrest right now. Let's bring him in and get him resting and we’ll have a talk.”

I nodded and the other policeman walked up, handing Frank over to me. He was limp in my arms, his eyes closed as he breathed slowly and steadily, his whole body wrapped in a grey blanket. The policeman sighed. “We had to subdue him, I'm afraid, he kept trying to run away and when we tried to stop him, he got violent.”

I nodded shakily, quickly turning and carrying Frank inside. Mikey winced as I walked past him, and followed me upstairs as I took Frank to his room, laying him down in bed carefully. I pulled the blanket away from his body and gritted my teeth. 

He was covered in bruises and cuts, blood and dirt smeared all over his skin. There was telltale blood on his thighs, and a patch of skin missing on his side. I noticed the bracelet on his wrist and frowned, taking it off carefully and setting it aside. 

I heard Mikey in the hallway and quickly stepped out of the room, shutting the door behind me. “Tell the police I need to clean him up so he can rest. I'll be down as soon as I can.”

Mikey nodded and hurried off. I went back into Frank's room and scooped him up, carrying him to the bathroom. I laid a towel I didn't like down in the tub and carefully set Frank down on top of it, grabbing a cloth and starting to wash him off with warm water, careful around his cuts and bruises. 

It took me ages to wipe away all the dried blood and dirt, but I found it somewhat soothing to be cleaning him. I was taking care of him, and that was my job. I was doing my job. 

After he was finally clean, I washed out his cuts more carefully, applying antiseptic cream to all of them. I placed a pad over the patch of raw, bloody skin on his side, then wrapped gauze around him to keep it in place. I then lifted him up once more and carried him to bed. I dressed him in his favorite pajamas and pulled a blanket over him, kissing his forehead. I grabbed my iPod from my room and left Frank's favorite classical playlist running before going downstairs. 

Mikey had made a batch of coffee, and handed me a mug as I stepped off the last stair. “It's a bit...weird,” he mumbled, jerking his head towards the living room. I sighed quietly. “My whole fucking life is weird and shitty at the moment.”

Mikey shrugged and walked me into the living room. Pete, the two policemen, and a slightly familiar looking demon were all sitting in chairs. The demon had handcuffs on, but didn't look too bothered about it. I sat down in an armchair slowly. The demon looked at me. 

“How is he?”

I ignored him, staring at the first policeman intently. “What's going on?”

He sighed and picked a folder up from the coffee table, pulling out a photo of a body, covered in blood. “Do you know this vampire?”

I squinted at it and shook my head. “Nope.”

“Well, he knows your boyfriend. He's the last master Frank had, not including you. This demon here claims to have been trying to find Frank after learning he'd gone missing and to have gone into a fit of rage when he spotted this vampire harming him. He killed him.”

My eyes widened and I glanced at the demon. 

“I'm Chris, we’ve met before.”

“Yeah, I realize that now. How the fuck do I know I can trust you?”

Chris smirked and moved his hands slightly, the cuffs clinking as they fell from his wrists. “Because I'm here. Getting arrested, because I want you to be sure that that vampire will never come anywhere near Frank again.”

“Clearly not, he's in several pieces,” I snapped, feeling the pressure behind my eyes as I started to get a headache.

“We found Chris outside the building, he carried Frank over to us and helped us load him into the car before we arrested him. We believe he's telling the truth.”

“Well, then thanks I guess. I don't know? This has been a really fucking long day and I get the feeling that when Frank wakes up, it's gonna get a lot fucking longer. I just need some peace and quiet.”

The first officer nodded and sighed. “Thank you, sir. We'd like it if you and Frank could come down to the station for official statements later on, but it certainly doesn't have to be today.”

Chris glanced at me. “The bracelet I put on his wrist was given to me by an angel,” he said quietly. “It should help him heal faster.”

I shrugged and rubbed my eyes. “Okay, if you say so. Now please get the fuck out of my house.”

~

Mikey sat down next to me as I stroked Frank's back slowly, over and over. 

“Gee, come on...come have some takeout. I don't think he's coming around anytime soon, and you gotta eat.”

I sighed and looked at him, my fingers trembling as I rested my hand on Frank's hip. “I can't leave him, Mikey...I c-can't..”

“He's asleep, Gerard. Come on. Like you said, I think it's going to be hard when he wakes up. Come have something to eat so you can be ready for that.”

I sighed and stood up reluctantly, grabbing a notepad from Frank's desk. I scribbled a quick note and taped it to the wall. 

_ We’re downstairs if you need us. Come find me when you wake up, beautiful. xxxGee _

 

I was picking at my dinner when I heard soft footsteps. I glanced up, smiling at the figure in the hallway. “Come on, Frankie..”

Mikey and Pete looked up as Frank hesitated, then bolted across the room and shot into my lap, curling up into a tiny ball. I put my plate aside quickly and drew a blanket over him, rubbing his back. “Shh, it's okay. I've got you,” I murmured as he shook, burying his face in my side. 

After about ten minutes of Frank hiding and trembling, I figured things weren't changing anytime soon and went back to my dinner, occasionally trying to offer Frank some. He didn't really react. Once I'd eaten all I could, I patted his back gently. 

“You wanna go back upstairs, little one?”

He nodded slightly, so I glanced at Mikey and he smiled. “Do what you need to do, Gee.”

I scooped Frank up and held him against my chest as I carried him upstairs more easily than usual, laying him in our bed carefully. He stayed curled up, hiding his face in the pillow. I sighed and kissed his forehead. “I'm gonna get changed, Frankie. Okay?”

He didn't respond, so I slipped my jeans off and tugged on a pair of pajama pants instead, climbing into bed next to Frank. 

“Come here, baby,” I murmured, opening my arms. He snuggled up to my chest immediately, but stayed curled up, his face now buried in my neck. I stroked his back slowly until I felt him go limp, his breathing becoming softer and more relaxed. I tugged out my phone and texted Mikey. 

**Frank is asleep, I'm gonna stay with him. Are you okay sleeping on the couch with Pete?**

I hummed to Frank softly as I waited for the reply. 

**Sure. We have to head off to school early in the morning, just so you know. Gn.**

~

Frank stirred about an hour after I woke up the next morning, grunting softly as he nuzzled my chest. I hadn't slept very well at all, scared of moving and waking him up. I'd put the bracelet back on his wrist as well, not sure what else to do. 

Now he grabbed onto my shirt and tugged lightly before wrapping his arms around me and clinging to me desperately. I kissed the side of his head softly. “Shhh. It's okay. It's alright. I've got you..”

I hugged him carefully, not wanting to hurt him. “It's okay, beautiful. You're safe now. It's okay..”

Frank didn't say anything, just holding onto me silently. 

“How do you feel this morning?”

He didn't respond, not even with a shrug. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. 

“I'm gonna go make some breakfast, Frankie...you gonna come with me?”

He squeezed me a little tighter and I took that as a yes, getting up and helping him up after me. He grabbed onto my hand immediately, lacing our fingers and holding on a little too tight. 

 

Frank padded around after me as I pulled out ingredients from cupboards. “You hungry, baby?”

I glanced back at him and he just stared at me blankly. I sighed and turned to face him, folding my arms over my chest. “Can you please just nod or shake your head?”

He flinched and shook his head slowly, turning away slightly. I rubbed the bridge of my nose lightly. “So you don't want pancakes?”

He sniffed and I started to put the ingredients back. “Alright. I'm gonna make myself some cereal then.”

I got a bowl out of the cupboard, glancing back at Frank. He was crying silently. “Fuck. Come here, baby. Come on, I didn't mean to snap, I'm just worried.”

He shuffled up to me slowly and hesitantly, leaning his side against my chest. I wrapped my arms around him slowly, carefully, nuzzling the side of his head. “I've got you. It's okay...it's okay..” 

I rubbed Frank's back as he started to sob softly, shaking badly. I scooped him up, holding him against my chest as he wrapped his legs around me tightly. “I love you, Frankie. I'm here..” 

 

I ended up just cuddling him on the couch until he fell asleep, laying him down carefully. I kissed his forehead and got up, heading into the kitchen to finish making my breakfast. I was about halfway through my bowl of cereal when Frank ran in, skidding to a stop next to me and throwing his arms around my neck. 

“Hey, baby. It's okay..” I sighed, gently peeling him off me. “I'm not going anywhere, Frankie. Come sit down, you gotta eat.”

He took the seat next to me, curling up and resting his chin on his knees as he stared at nothing silently. I finished my cereal and washed the bowl out before putting it in the dishwasher, glancing at Frank. He was shaking slightly, his arms wrapped around his legs tightly as he sniffed. His usually soft green eyes had a haunted air about them, his eyebrows clashing occasionally as he thought about God knows what. 

I touched his shoulder and he jumped, but didn't look at me. I kissed the side of his head softly. “It's just me. Can you come upstairs so I can have a look at you? Make sure you seem okay?”

Frank didn't respond, so I just started walking, wincing as I heard him scramble out of his chair to run after me. He stayed a pace behind, his bare feet practically soundless on the carpet. 

I walked him into the bedroom, then turned around and started to unbutton his shirt. He stood quietly, shivering as I undid the last button and slipped the shirt off his shoulders, blinking. “Holy..” I lifted the pad off the area of skin that had been missing, finding only smooth, unmarked pale flesh. “Wow, okay..”

I unwrapped the gauze and took the pad off carefully, then kissed his cheek. “I guess you're okay.”

Frank didn't make eye contact with me, sighing to himself quietly. I stroked his hair slowly. “My precious, beautiful Frankie...come here.”

I opened my arms and he fell into them eagerly, burying his face in my shoulder. 

~

Mikey watched as I ran my hand down Frank's side slowly. He was sleeping a little fitfully, but he was sleeping, and it was still rest. 

“He won't talk. He wouldn't eat breakfast or lunch, and he doesn't want to be left alone. Like...I left him on the couch to sleep and he woke up and ran over to me...he follows me everywhere. It's like having a pet zombie.”

Mikey sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed, brushing his knuckles down Frank's cheek. “He's been through so much, Gerard. The baby, and now this...I think he's shutting down.”

I rubbed my eyes shakily. “At least he still...he still recognizes me,” I mumbled, glancing at him as he moved a little. “He cuddles up to me and he hugs me..but it's not really all that nice because he just...he hugs me like if he lets go he's gonna die. That's...that's worrying.”

Mikey nodded, looking up at me. “You need to get him eating, for a start. That'll make him feel better. Don't worry about the talking, I don't think. And don't leave him alone. If he's that scared of it, don't give him a reason to be scared. Fear is where he retreats when he's hurt, and if you can break that wall down, you can start helping him properly. Get him to relax..”

“I don't know how..” I ran my fingers through his hair slowly. “He doesn't really react to anything I say. He hardly even makes eye contact..I just..”

Mikey smiled sadly. “Baby steps, Gerard. One day at a time. He's still your Frank, he's just a little deeper in there somewhere. What can you make or get that would tempt him into eating? Doesn't matter if it's junk.”

I blinked and rubbed my eyes again. “Salmon, he likes salmon. And fresh donuts. I'll uh..”

Mikey kissed the side of my head. “Go. Go get started, I'll sit with him.”

~

Frank held onto my hand tightly as I walked him downstairs. Pete and Mikey were sitting at the table already, so I guided Frank to sit in front of Mikey and took the last chair. “I'd really like you to try and eat,” I murmured, but tried to be a little firmer than usual, my hand resting on Frank's thigh. “Even if you only manage a couple bites, okay?”

Frank didn't even acknowledge that I'd said anything, but picked up his fork. Mikey, Pete, and I all got started, and I kept an eye on Frank as he flaked the fish like he was playing with it. Eventually, he picked up some mashed potatoes and ate a tiny bite, then nibbled at some of the fish before putting more potatoes on his fork with the fish and taking the much larger bite. Mikey looked up and smiled at Frank encouragingly. “You're doing really well, Frank. I'm proud of you. I know it's hard.”

Frank didn't look up, just taking another slow, methodical bite. I couldn't shake the feeling that he was doing it because I told him to. He didn't look like he was tasting the food he was putting in his mouth, much less enjoying it. I rubbed his thigh lightly and pushed my plate away slightly as I finished. “I have a surprise for you, Frankie. When you're done eating.”

He still didn't look up from the plate, swallowing with difficulty. He tried to take another bite, but gagged, and I stroked his hair quickly. “Shh, baby. You don't have to eat it all, just as much as you can manage..”

Frank only just managed to swallow the last bite, sniffling. Mikey got up from the table and walked out of the room calmly, and I watched him go shakily. Pete glanced at me worriedly, then hurried after Mikey. Frank started to cry softly and I pulled him into a hug, rubbing his back as he clung to me again. 

“Are you okay here for a second while I go check on Mikey?” I asked as I pulled away after about half a minute. Frank looked at me with wide eyes and I kissed his forehead. “You'll be okay. Just stay here, yeah? Five seconds..”

I got up and hurried down the hall, finding Mikey curled up on the couch in Pete’s arms. “Everything okay?”

Pete looked up, rocking my younger brother slowly. “Yeah, we’re okay. Mikey's just upset cause of how bad Frank is, he doesn't like seeing him like that, and then...Frank's reaction to dinner was a little triggering, I think.”

I nodded slightly and ran a hand through my hair. “Is there anything I can do? I've got my hands tied a little cause Frank can't bear to be on his own at the moment, and-”

“It's fine, I've got this,” Pete smiled, pulling a blanket around Mikey. “Go do what you were gonna do.”

I nodded and hurried back to the kitchen, almost colliding with Frank as he ran the other way, grabbing onto me and immediately starting to sob. I winced and hugged him tightly, guiding him into the kitchen and shutting the door behind us. “Shh. Oh, Frankie. It's okay. I was just in the next room, beautiful, I wasn't going anywhere..”

He clung to me shakily and I sighed, rubbing his back lightly. “Come on. If you let go, I can show you the surprise..”

Frank reluctantly let go of me, but grabbed onto the hem of my shirt like a little kid as he followed me to the fridge. I pulled out a piping bag full of batter and a bowl of icing, placing them by the machine on the counter before reaching into a cupboard and pulling out a bottle of sprinkles. Frank looked at them, then looked at me, making solid eye contact for a few sweet seconds. I kissed his forehead and tapped the machine. “This is a deep fat fryer, yeah? Be very careful.”

I grabbed the lattice spoon and opened the lid of the fryer, piping the ring onto the spoon before lowering it into the oil and watching the ring float up. Frank giggled and I glanced at him in awe, grinning like an idiot. “Oh, I love you so much.”

His smile faded and he looked away quickly, but I still felt ten times better. I waited until the donut was cooked, then pulled it out and placed it on a plate with paper towels. “Why don't you stir the icing for me and put the sprinkles in a bowl? Get it all ready for decorating.”

Frank trotted off and I smiled to myself, just glad to see him acting like a person again. I did a couple more rings, then tested the first one to see if it was cool. “Okay, baby. I've never done this before, but I guess you dip it in the icing and then in the sprinkles. Wanna try?”

He smiled briefly and picked up the donut carefully, dipping it in the white icing before accidentally dropping it in the sprinkles. He hissed and I glanced over quickly. “It's okay, baby. It's just a little mess,” I chuckled, reaching out and rubbing his shoulder gently. “Pick it up before it gets stuck.”

Frank plucked it out of the bowl and set it up the right way on a different plate. I grinned at him. 

“Perfect. Very colorful.”

Frank flashed another tiny smile and poured more sprinkles into the bowl before dipping the next one. 

When we'd finished enough to go around, I took the plate into the living room, Frank padding along behind me slowly. I sat down on the big armchair, smiling as Frank squeezed on next to me. I offered the plate to Mikey and Pete. “Try our science project.” 

They each took one and I offered the plate to Frank, who just stared at the donuts blankly. I reached over and tore one in half, pushing one half towards him and taking the other half. He picked his up tentatively, watching me take a bite from mine before sinking his teeth into his. 

I watched him eat the donut, feeling my throat close up a little. He looked so happy, his eyes slipping closed as he savored the bite, leaning on me. I blinked the tears away and grinned as he reached out for another one, biting into it quickly. I kissed his cheek and pressed my forehead against the side of his head, one hand on his thigh. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the sadness...and sorry for the late update, I've been super busy getting packed and everything today. I won't be updating until either Friday evening or Saturday morning, so I guess I will see you all then!   
> Thanks for reading :)


	19. Chapter 19

**G**

I opened the front door and immediately slammed it again, hurrying into the living room. “Frankie, baby, go start packing your stuff.”

He stared at me, but didn't move. 

I sighed in exasperation, rubbing my forehead. “Frank, baby. I'm sick of this. I'm sick of seeing you shut down like this. I'm sick of worrying about people coming to find you or me. That was one of my old friends at the door, an old friend I don't want to see again. Go pack your suitcase. I've been thinking about this for a while now and I've decided this is it. We’re moving.”

Frank blinked at me, his whole body starting to shake. I jogged over, cupping his face in my hands. “I'm taking my family to Canada. All of us. Even Pete if he wants to come. We’re moving away from this shit and we’re gonna start a proper new life, together. You're gonna get better and I'm gonna learn how to ski or something cool and we’re gonna be okay. But we have to go, and we have to go  _ now. _ I can't do this anymore.” 

~~~

Mikey leaned his head against my shoulder as he slid the window shut. “Is it much longer?”

I glanced at my watch and shook my head. “No, not much.”

I looked down at Frank, his little body curled up in the seat next to me. He'd passed out during takeoff and had stayed out for the whole flight so far. 

“About half an hour, Mikes. I'm sorry Pete couldn't come with us.”

He shrugged and sighed. “Frank's safety is important, and I know you need this. Pete and I will be fine, he's just finishing his last year and then coming up to join us. Are we gonna be near where Frank was born?”

I shook my head. “No, we’ll be on the same coast, but much further south. We're in British Columbia, I think Frank is from the Yukon somewhere. We might have to take a road trip.”

“Not yet though,” Mikey sighed, glancing at Frank. “Poor thing.”

“I think being closer to home should help. That's the idea, anyway. And we’ll be further from big cities. We’ll be fairly close to Vancouver, but more north. A little more isolated. It'll do him good.”

Mikey leaned back slightly. “What are you gonna do?”

“I have a high school job lined up in town. I'll have plenty of time off to be with Frank, and hopefully he’ll be a lot better by next year. The school knows my position, so I think they’ll be fairly forgiving. I just...I need to do this for Frank.”

“I know, Gee. I know. And yourself, and that's okay. What are you doing about Finn?”

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. “I hadn't really thought about it until you brought it up the other day. There's ways of having him moved, I think I'm going to talk to Frank about it. If he’ll have a discussion with me..”

I trailed off, groaning softly. “Why is life so damn hard?”

Mikey hesitated. “You still...love him, right?”

I covered my eyes with one hand. “Wish I didn't sometimes. But yes, he's still...almost everything to me, besides you and Mum. I just...I don't make him happy and I can't fix it and I just really wanna fix it..”

“You can't force it.”

“I know. I'm gonna try and get him a therapist, though. He needs it.”

Mikey nodded slowly, sighing again. “Pete was really mad when I told him.”

“It'll be okay, Mikes,” I soothed, rubbing his arm gently. “Really. You'll be fine.”

I felt the plane dip and quickly buckled my seatbelt as the light went on. Frank stirred and I scrambled for his blanket, throwing it over him and wrapping him in it tightly before buckling his seatbelt over it. His eyes opened slowly and he yawned, trying to move. I leaned over and kissed him softly, stroking his hair. “Shh. We’re landing, baby. It's okay. Just hold onto me, it's not scary. Nothing to be scared of..”

Frank grabbed at my arm, sinking his nails in and staring at me frantically. 

“It's okay,” I said again softly, rubbing his chest. “Shh. We’re nearly landing, hold on..”

There was a jolt and Frank squealed softly, flinching and trying to hide. I shushed him gently as the plane started to slow, then leaned over to Mikey. “Can you roll the window back up?”

He nodded and did so quickly and I pointed it out to Frank as he trembled. “Look! It's all snowy. We’re in  Canada, baby..”

~

I carried the last suitcase into the hall, smiling at Mum. “Is he still with Mikey?”

She nodded. “Playing snow angels. When does all the furniture get here?”

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. “Tomorrow. It's gonna be a rough night tonight, but everything will be all settled tomorrow.”

“It's gonna stress him out.”

“I know. I was thinking maybe Mikey could take him somewhere for a while. The snow isn't gonna be around much longer and I know he loves it.” 

Mum smiled and glanced out of the window as Mikey ran past, followed by Frank. “He already looks happier, Gee. He's gonna be himself again soon.”

I nodded, stretching and yawning. “Your apartment in town will be set up tomorrow too. I've got an extra bed so Mikey can have a room here as well.”

She glanced around. “It's a really nice house, Gee, very homely.”

I smiled, looking around at the large wood-burning stove and the steps up to the loft. “It's big, but cosy. Frank will love the loft, it's basically the master bedroom, and there's screens that pull across, it's really nice.”

“I'm sure it is, but you should get them back in. It's getting dark and I'm sure we're all exhausted.”

~

I slept on my camping mattress in the loft with Frank, his warm body comfortable against mine as he slept from sheer exhaustion. I ran a hand down his back slowly, then nuzzled the side of his head. “I love you.”

He moved slightly and sniffed, snuggling closer to me just as his body started to shake. I stayed quiet and still, praying the nightmare would go away. Instead, Frank began to whimper, shuddering all over. I sighed and shook him gently. “Hey, Frankie. It's okay, beautiful..” 

He didn't really move, but stopped trembling. I hugged him a little tighter. “I've got you. It's gonna be okay now, little one.”

Frank pressed himself closer to me, his thin arms snaking around my waist hesitantly. 

“I love you,” I murmured, kissing his cheek. “So so much.”

He didn't answer, but squeezed me slightly. 

~

Frank wouldn't eat breakfast. He kept looking away, or getting up from the table. “Frankie, you gotta have breakfast, baby,” I encouraged softly. Mikey was eating in another room, and Mum was washing dishes. Frank pulled a face and I groaned, pointing to his plate. “For fuck’s sake, Frank, it's not fucking poisonous!”

Mum froze and Frank stared at me, his chest rising and falling quickly as he started to shake slightly. I gulped and pinched the bridge of my nose. 

“Fuck. Frank, I'm sorry. I...I'm so worried about you, baby. You just...you aren't giving me anything. You haven't spoken to me in two weeks and you...you haven't even told me you love me,” I mumbled, my voice cracking. “I sound pathetic...I know you're going through so much right now and you're scared and you're hurting, but I just really want my Frankie back.”

He blinked and a couple tears rolled down his cheeks before he scrambled up and hurried off down the hall. I buried my face in my hands, sighing shakily. 

“It's hard, Gee. You're doing your best,” Mum said quietly. “I'm proud of you.”

“I just snapped at the man I love because he wouldn't eat breakfast,” I muttered. “I'm pretty sure that's not okay.”

“But you had reasons, you're worried about him, frustrated. You're still grieving yourself and you need him with you. I understand. I'm sure he does on some level too….go find him.”

I nodded and got up slowly, heading up into the loft and sighing when I saw Frank curled up on the mattress. “Baby...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap and I didn't mean to say stupid things and make it worse. I just want you to be healthy, even if I can't make you happy.”

I knelt down in front of him, stroking his hair slowly. “I love you, Frankie. And seeing you in pain like this hurts me too.”

He sniffed and made eye contact with me, slowly lifting his hands and making them into a heart shape over his chest. I grinned, my nostrils flaring as I felt the emotion bubble over and the tears started to fall. “I love you too, baby..” I pulled him into a hug, rubbing his shoulders as he hugged me back tightly. “You're so special to me, Frankie. So so special. Are you gonna go out with Mikey while the movers are here?”

Frank tensed slightly and I stroked my fingers down his spine. “You have your free ID card, and Mikey will take care of you. There's gonna be people in and out all day here, I think you should be away from the stress, baby. Will you do it for me? I'll only be a phone call and fifteen minutes away.” 

He nodded just slightly and I smiled, pulling away so I could kiss his cheek. “I'm proud of you, Frankie. Even if I get frustrated sometimes.” 

Frank kissed me lightly and I sighed happily. 

~~

Nearly a month later, we'd all just about settled in. Mikey and Pete were talking again and seemed fine, although the whole long distance thing was driving Mikey nuts. Mum had been pleased with her apartment, and had found a knitting group to go to. 

Frank hadn't really changed. He seemed happier, busying himself with reading and playing outside, but he still didn't smile and hadn't spoken a word to me. At night, he shook and screamed, and in the day, he was so tired he could barely hold his head up. I still couldn't leave him alone for more than two minutes, and it was becoming hard to live with. 

 

Frank grabbed onto me as I tried to finish reading my book. 

“Frank..” I shook him off gently, but he grabbed me again, digging his nails in this time. “Frank, I'm trying to read.”

He kicked me, not hard enough to hurt. 

“For fuck’s sake!” I snapped, tossing my book onto the coffee table and turning to face him. “Use your goddamn words, Frank! What do you want?”

He flinched and scrambled back, his chest heaving. I reached out to him and he hissed, glaring at me shakily as he shuffled back a little further. “Frank, come on..” I grabbed his arm and he snarled, biting down on my hand hard. I slapped the side of his head and he let go, jumping up and running up the stairs. I heard Mikey's voice call out and shook my head, shaking my hand out as I grabbed my boots and coat, pulling them on quickly. I shoved my torch and phone in my pocket, slipping out of the front door. 

 

I had only managed to get a few yards away when Mikey called me, and I tugged my phone out quickly. 

“Gerard, what the fuck is-”

“I'm an asshole and an idiot and I need a fucking break,” I mumbled, running a hand through my hair and glancing up at the darkening sky. “I'm going for a walk, I can't take this much longer. I've tried being patient, and loving, I've tried making sure he has everything he needs, and it doesn't fucking work. I don't know what to do anymore, and all I want is to have a fucking conversation with him. Kiss him properly...take a bath with him. Normal shit. And I can't. I can't even have five fucking minutes to myself..”

Mikey sighed quietly. “This can't go on forever, Gerard.”

“Tell me about it.”

“I mean you need to think about taking him somewhere to get real help. I mean getting out of his life so he can move on.”

I paused, my breath shaky. “Fuck that.”

“Mhm. So man the fuck up.”

“I'm taking a walk,” I muttered, glancing around again. “I need to cool off.”

I hung up and kept walking, heading for the woods across the road. It wasn't cold enough to snow anymore, but it was still freezing, with thick morning frosts and weak sun. 

I felt a twig crack underfoot as I reached the woods, sniffling. My hand hurt and everything ached for Frank.  _ Real  _ Frank, not the zombified version living in my house. 

I heard rustling in the bushes and sighed to myself quietly, keeping on the path with my hands in my pockets. I'd forgotten my gloves and scarf. 

Something in my peripheral vision shifted and I glanced to the side, slightly rattled. “Hello?”

Instead of an answer, I heard a baby crying. I fumbled for my flashlight, turning it on quickly and shining it around the woods. “Excuse me? This is not fucking funny!”

My light flicked over something a few paces down the path and I blinked, taking a slow step forward. “This better not be a fucking trap, I swear to God...I have a gun,” I lied, forcing my voice deeper and louder as I crouched over the tiny baby, wrapped tightly in a faded green blanket. “Holy fuck..”

The baby stared up at me for a couple seconds, its lips blue and its cheeks red, then started to cry again. I scooped it up carefully and took off down the path the way I'd come. 

~

Mikey was waiting for me when I burst into the house. “Where's Frank?”

He stared at me blankly. “Upstairs and asleep. What's wrong with you?”

I gulped and unzipped my coat, carefully pulling the baby out. “I f-found it..”

Mikey blinked, jumping up and running over. He took the baby from me, staring at it and brushing a fingertip down its cheek. “It's real...holy...we need to get it warm..”

I nodded, slipping my coat off. “Here, let me..”

I took the baby back carefully and hurried to the fire, kneeling down close to it, but still several feet away. Mikey crouched next to me, watching as I unwrapped the blanket, smiling down at the little baby girl. “Hey, cutie..”

She giggled, reaching up towards me slightly. I blinked when I saw the bracelet around her wrist and pulled it off carefully, tucking it in a pocket. Mikey didn't notice and grinned instead. “She's adorable. She must be a few months old, right?”

“I think so,” I murmured, tracing a finger across her throat, along the scar. “She's a shifter..” I laid her down on the inside of my coat, wrapping her in the warm fabric carefully. “There we go. Nice and toasty. Can you call Mum and ask her to go to the store on her way here?”

“She wasn't supposed to come over-”

“I know, Mikes, but she has to now. I need supplies. We need diapers, at least one onesie, a crib, bottles, and formula. Got that?”

“I think so. What about Frank?”

I stared at him shakily. “I don't know. Look, Mikey, she was left in the creepy woods just before dark, and I'm pretty sure there was someone else there. I couldn't just leave her.”

He sighed and nodded. “Alright. I'll go call.” 

~

I rocked the baby slowly as I fed her from the bottle, relieved she hadn't cried at all since being inside. Frank was still asleep upstairs, and I wanted to keep it that way for now. Mikey reached out, touching her little foot lightly. “So tiny..”

I smiled, looking down at her and sniffing. Mum sighed and sat back in her armchair. “How do you think Frank will take having a baby in the house?” 

I shrugged. “He probably won't react at all. Seems to be the pattern lately..”

I took the empty bottle away and set it down on the coffee table carefully. “Mikey, hon, you've got school tomorrow, you need to get to bed. Please try not to wake Frankie.” 

He rolled his eyes, but walked upstairs quietly. Mum sighed. “I think that baby needs a bath, Gerard.”

I nodded, stroking her fuzzy, but dirty black hair lightly. “Yeah...I just wanted to get her fed so she wouldn't wake Frank.”

“I know. How about you go and get him while I bathe her? You can explain the situation and if you tell him, you can control how he finds out.”

I nodded again, yawning as I handed the baby over. “Sure. I'll go talk to him.”

 

The door creaked as I slipped into the master bedroom, turning the light on but leaving it dim. I walked up to the bed and sat down on the edge, stroking Frank's back slowly. He grumbled in his sleep and curled up slightly. 

“Frankie...baby..”

He tensed suddenly and I knew he was awake. 

“Hey beautiful,” I murmured softly. “I'm so sorry. I really...I never mean to snap at you like that, I just...I miss you. And I know you're hurting and you're scared, but I don't...I don't understand why you're different, why you won't talk to me. It makes it really hard for me. But I love you so so much and I don't wanna give up on you. I need to talk to you, sweetie, will you roll over?”

Frank sighed, sniffling a bit. I leaned over him and kissed his cheek. “Please? I'm sorry for being a dick..”

He looked at me, his bottom lip wobbling slightly and his bright green eyes swimming with tears. I sniffed and kissed his forehead. “I love you, baby. Come on..”

Frank rolled over to face me properly, wringing his hands. I smiled down at him, rubbing his shoulder slowly. “I uh...I went out on a walk and...I found something in the woods.”

Frank blinked at me, drying his eyes on his sleeve. 

I sighed and rubbed the bridge of my nose. “I found a baby, Frank. She was out in the cold in the woods, so I brought her in and...she's downstairs..”

Frank’s expression went blank and I winced. 

“I'm sorry, Frankie. I don't...I didn't know what else to do..”

He growled suddenly and slapped my arm, jerking the blanket up and over him as he rolled over again, putting his back to me very definitely. I sighed and stood up slowly. “Okay. I'm sorry, Frankie. I'm gonna...I'm gonna go downstairs...and if you need me, I'll be in the living room. I love you.” 

I shut the door behind me quietly as I headed downstairs, shaking my head at Mum. “I don't think he took it well.”

“I didn't think so,” she sighed, handing the baby to me. I took her carefully, smiling down at her as she opened her rich green eyes and giggled. 

“Apparently I'm funny,” I chuckled, brushing a finger down her cheek.

“Most things are to babies. I'm gonna head home before the roads get bad, are you gonna be okay?”

I nodded and smiled. “Thanks so much for helping, I'm sorry about all this.”

“It's not your fault.”

 

I tucked the baby in her crib, smiling down at her as she started to fall asleep. I waited until she was fully out, then curled up on the couch nearby, letting myself fall into blackness. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know how I'm going to end this story, but I'm having trouble writing it, and I was wondering if you guys wanted me to put up a new fic in the meantime. I have this one I've been writing that's another slave type fic, but more of a character study with a few different relationships and lots of POVs.   
> Let me know if you might be interested!   
> Thanks!


	20. Chapter 20

**G**

I woke up to loud crying and swore, scrambling off my couch and grabbing the baby out of her crib. I held her against my chest, bouncing her slightly as I hurried into the kitchen to make a bottle of formula. Mikey had already gone out to school, and Frank was still upstairs. I mixed it up and offered it to her, smiling as she started to feed almost immediately.

I heard footsteps behind me and Frank opened the fridge, grabbing a yogurt. He glanced at me and I smiled. He glared briefly before stalking off to the living room. I sighed and rolled my eyes, holding the baby carefully as I followed him.

Frank looked up from the couch and got up quickly, shuffling out of the room. I sighed and just sat down, letting him do whatever.

~

Frank was very grumpy with me the next few days, avoiding me while I did my best to take care of him and the baby. After a while, he started to just ignore her, accepting me sleeping in the bed again and pretending she didn't wake him up when she cried. I left him to it for the most part, kissing him when I could and telling him I loved him as much as he needed, but I was still busy with the baby.

One night, I woke up abruptly after a bad nightmare to find Frank gone, the bed next to me empty. I sighed and wandered down the stairs, creeping through the dark halls. I didn't want to wake the baby, but I could see light coming from under the living room door. I pushed it open just enough to see through, blinking in surprise.

Frank was curled up on the couch, rocking the baby in his arms as he sang to her softly, in a language I couldn't place. He was smiling, stroking her cheek delicately and holding her carefully. He giggled as he finished his song, talking to her quietly instead. She gurgled and reached out for him, and he let her grab his fingers, grinning. I pushed the door open all the way and stepped in. Frank froze and looked up at me with wide, scared eyes. I smiled at him, a little choked up as I leaned over and kissed his forehead. “You've made a friend, huh Frankie?”

He sniffed and I walked around, sitting down next to him. He tried to hand me the baby, but I shook my head. “She looks happy where she is. Are you okay?”

I stroked his hair slowly, relaxing slightly as he leaned into me, trembling now. Frank gave a tiny nod and I wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer to my side. “You're so good with her, Frankie,” I murmured as he stared down at her, sniffling occasionally. “You were singing...I've never heard you sing before..”

He shot me a guilty look and I sighed. “Why won't you talk to me, Frankie? I don't understand. I just...I want to have a conversation with you.”

“I'm scared,” he whispered, his voice crackly and shaky from disuse. I smiled and nuzzled the side of his head, squeezing him gently. “There's nothing to be scared of, honey. We’re miles away from anyone who could want to hurt us, no one knows we're here, and I'm protecting you. I won't let anyone near you.”

“B-but you did..”

I sighed and kissed his forehead softly. “I won't let it happen again. Promise.”

I looked down at the baby and sighed. “I've tried to find out who she belongs to, but I haven't been successful. All the hospitals around here say she wasn't born with them. I think she's uh...I think she's staying with us.”

Frank managed a small smile, leaning down and kissing her forehead shakily. I rubbed his side gently, looking down at the sleepy baby.

“Why don't you put her back to bed and-”

Frank shook his head quickly and I nodded. “Okay. We can sit here for a while..”

He lifted her up carefully, laying her against his chest, one arm supporting her and the other hand rubbing up and down her back slowly. I kissed Frank's temple and pulled him closer to me, my fingers shaking. I'd almost forgotten what his voice sounded like, and hearing it had sent a bolt of relief so strong down my spine that it left me breathless and shaky.

I watched Frank fall asleep on me, my arm around him tightly as he drifted off, a peaceful look on his face. I kissed his cheek.

“I love you.”

~

I woke up on the couch, Frank curled up with his head in my lap and the baby in his arms. I stretched and carefully slipped the baby out of his grip, chuckling as she woke up. “Feeding time..”

I carried her into the kitchen, and was just mixing her formula when Frank ran in, gently grabbing her from me and hugging her tightly. I smiled at him and shook the bottle carefully. “It's alright, Frankie. I'm not stealing her.”

He looked at me with wide eyes and I sighed, handing him the bottle. “It's okay, baby. It was a joke. How long have you been coming down at night to sit with her?”

He shrugged. “A week.”

I nodded, my fingers tingling again. “That's probably why she's been going down for her naps easier.” I kissed his forehead softly and gently drew him in for a hug, careful not to squash the baby. “I love you, Frankie. Kiss?”

Frank smiled slightly and lifted his chin, kissing me softly. I stroked his cheek slowly, purring quietly as he broke away. “I love you too, Gee.”

I grinned and rested my forehead on his, clinging to him a little tighter. “Fuck, I missed you so so bad..”

~~~

I laid in bed with Frank, the baby asleep between us. He was tired, yawning occasionally and smiling at me sleepily.

“What happened, Frankie?” I asked softly, stroking down his side slowly. “What happened in your mind?”

He sighed, looking down slightly. “Y’know...he raped me, Gee. He beat me and he raped me and he’d heard about Finn...he told me I was a useless parent a-and I should just...let him k-kill me...he told me you didn't love me..”

I shook my head quickly. “All of that was bullshit, Frankie..”

“I know, but...I needed my own time to process, I guess. And then...I just didn't really...come out of it. I kept going over everything in my mind. What I could have done differently..”

I leaned over the baby to kiss him softly. “You did everything perfect, Frankie.”

Frank sniffed and smiled shakily, shrugging with one shoulder. “It was just...y'know. I picked her up,” he murmured, gesturing to the baby. “And she just...relaxed. She was so happy to see me, almost. Like she'd been crying for me especially, and me holding her made everything better. I know it's stupid, but I thought...when I picked her up, I thought to myself that maybe I could be a good mama..”

I caught the tears as they ran down Frank's cheeks. “You _are_ a good mama,” I soothed, sitting up. I picked the baby up carefully and placed her in her crib, which I’d moved into our bedroom. I laid back down and pulled Frank into my arms, purring as he nuzzled up to me eagerly. “I talked to some people about her yesterday. They still have no idea where she came from and if no one comes forward in the next month, we’ll be able to adopt her officially. If you...if you wanted to,” I sighed, stumbling over my words.

Frank leaned up slightly, kissing my neck and jaw softly. “I'd love that.”

I hugged him tightly, running my fingers through his hair slowly. “She needs a name, Frankie.”

“Can I think about it?”

I nodded and hummed happily as he wrapped his arms around me, clinging onto me gently.

~

Frank was feeding her when I went downstairs, doing up the last few buttons on my shirt as I walked into the kitchen. “Hey..”

Frank smiled at me and I kissed him briefly, rubbing his shoulder as I looked down at the baby. “Had any ideas?”

He bit his lip and shrugged. “I thought maybe Allih’ari...it means gift in my native language.”

I blinked and stared at him. “I didn't know you had a..” I trailed off and Frank giggled, shaking his head.

“The werewolves have two, humans have a ridiculous number, vampires have one, demons speak every language under the sun but share one native language, and you thought that shifters, the oldest race still around today wouldn't have one?”

I felt the blush rising and sighed. “Point taken, I'm sorry.”

He grinned and shrugged. “Shifters basically have one language per continent. Anyway. Being back here and not having much else to think about has brought back some of my memories and...yeah..”

I wrapped my arm around his shoulders, kissing his cheek. “I like it, Frankie. What would we call her for short?”

“Allie?”

“Allih’ari,” I hummed, rolling it around on my tongue while looking down at the baby thoughtfully. “Hm. I like it if you do, love. That's all that really matters to me.”

Frank smiled and kissed me softly. “I do like it.”

“Then Allie she is,” I chuckled, pulling him into a brief side hug. “Come on. We’re going to the zoo, remember?”

I scooped my keys up off the side and Frank smiled softly. “I remember.”

~

I held Frank's hand tightly, our fingers laced together as he held Allie against his chest with his other arm. “She's tired, huh?” I chuckled, kissing Frank's temple softly. He nodded, glancing around a little shakily. The park was fairly quiet, but there were a lot of very young kids around with their parents.

“You okay?” I asked Frank, rubbing my thumb over his knuckles. He glanced away and nodded again. “Are you not talking anymore?” I mumbled. He shrugged, starting to loosen his grip on my hand. I pulled him back gently and sighed.

“Come on. Let's go see some animals. Which way d’you wanna go?”

Frank pointed towards the cold exhibits and I squeezed his hand lightly. “Alright..”

We walked along, Frank smiling when he saw the penguins, but gently pulling me along. He finally stopped in front of the polar bears, holding Allie carefully as he let go of me to hurry down the stairs to see them swimming. I chuckled and followed him, rubbing his back slowly as he watched them with wide eyes. He glanced at me and grinned, and I kissed him briefly. “You're so beautiful when you're happy.”

He blushed and offered Allie to me. I shook my head. “She's tired, Frankie, let her sleep on you.”

He nodded and went back to watching, completely in awe. I smiled to myself, wrapping an arm around his waist tightly, pulling him a little closer.

 

As we walked around the lion enclosure, I noticed an odd figure across the lane. I stroked Frank's back and kissed his cheek. “I'll be right back, beautiful. Stay here..”

I shoved my hands in my pockets, frowning when my fingers brushed something. I tugged it out and saw the little bracelet that had been on the baby’s wrist when I'd found her. I glanced up at the figure and started walking. It turned to face me when I got close, the hood of the black cloak falling down to reveal a familiar face.

“What are you doing here?”

Chris smiled at me, glancing at Frank. “Watching over you. I'm not a demon, Gerard.” He took the bracelet from me carefully, showing me another similar one. “I make these.”

I blinked, looking over the runes on the rectangular wooden beads. “What are you?”

He smirked and shot another glance to Frank, who was watching the lions completely obliviously. “Guess.”

I stared at him as the cloak moved in a wind I couldn't feel. With every passing second, the cloak looked less and less like a cloak and more like-

“You have wings,” I muttered, my eyes widening. Chris smiled.

“Well observed. I am not a demon, but a dark angel. A fallen angel, if you prefer.”

“You gave us Allie,” I breathed, everything suddenly seeming to fall into place. “But...did you steal her? Where did she come from?”

Chris looked past me to Frank once more. “She was stolen, but she is rightfully yours. Or Frank's, rather. I stole her from heaven, she is Frank's daughter. And now yours as well.”

“What the actual fuck..”

I heard quiet footsteps and Frank brushed a hand over my back, staring at Chris in a mixture of fear and curiosity. Chris smiled at him warmly.

“Hello Frank. And Allie. You make such a lovely family.”

“Chris, you can't just fuck with people's lives like that,” I interrupted, not exactly sure why I was angry, but knowing that I most definitely was very angry. “How the fuck do I know you're even telling the truth?”

Chris sighed and ran a hand through his hair slowly. “Gerard, Allie deserved a second chance as much as you and Frank did. I knew what it would do for both of you. You're a family, and one day you'll be a happy one. God doesn't need another angel, or any of that bullshit people say when kids die. Allie was murdered in cold blood and she deserves to be held in her mother's arms. She deserves to have a chance to grow up.”

“What's the catch?”

Chris smiled at me. “None. Have a DNA test done if you don't believe me. I have other things I need to be doing. I'm glad you are all happy.”

Chris turned on his heel and disappeared into the crowd. Frank tugged on my arm gently, looking up at me in desperate, frantic confusion. I smiled sadly and kissed his forehead. “Let's go talk somewhere private.”

~~~

Frank squealed, squeezing Allie to his chest and nuzzling her cheek.

I tapped the piece of paper, looking up at the doctor. “So this proves..?”

He nodded. “This proves Frank is the mother of the child, and we tested the father DNA you requested we test, which came up positive as well. She's your child and she should be-”

I cut him off quickly. “She should be getting home. Right, Frankie? Let's take her home to bed. Thank you, thank you so much..”

 

**~~~**

 

**Epilogue**

It took a week after the DNA test before Frank would let Allie leave his side, even for a moment. He began to trust me more with her, and even Mikey. He sang to her and held her as much as he could, and he stopped randomly crying on her after about a month.

We managed to get back to our normal relationship, with Frank starting to come out of his shell again and show me a sassy, fun side of him I hadn't seen all of before. He loved parenting, and didn't blame me for being more hesitant. I'd never imagined myself as Gerard Way the Family Man, but Frank said I did a good job and loved seeing me with Allie.

As she was rising to two years old, Frank started nesting again. He made the decision to have surgery and he carried my child to term - a baby boy. I'll never forget the look on Frank's face when we took him home. Chris had been right. We were a family, and now, a happy one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this ending is so shitty guys, it's what I had planned, but I didn't want to make it so short. I'm looking at putting another story up soon but I'm still working on that.  
> But let me know what you thought of this story, any constructive criticism would be great!  
> Thanks for your support,  
> Logan <3


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